Sasuke's Cherry Blossom
by Sahara Storm
Summary: [In Progress, SasuSaku, ?ItaSaku?] In the dead of night, Itachi visits his little brother, and he is not pleased.
1. Sasuke's Cherry Blossom 1

_Sasuke's Cherry Blossom_

_Part 1_

**_A/N: -_** Yet another one-shot. I suppose one could consider it ItaSaku, but it's not, not really. Whatever. Anyways, this takes place eleven years after Episode 108 (which is all I've seen up to). I hope you all like it.

**_Disclaimer: -_** Every night, in my dreams, I live in a world where Sasuke is mine, Orochimaru does not exist, and I own _Naruto_. Unfortunately, when the sun arises and shines its harsh, cruel rays on my face, I realize that none of this is true.

* * *

"Foolish little brother."

Sasuke awoke groggily at the words, but before he could even register who the dark shadow at his bedside was, he was rendered unconscious by a stiff, two-fingered jab to the neck. The blue head dropped to the pillow, eyes spelling confusion, and the hand at his side fruitlessly gripping a kunai.

The dark head swung from side to side. _You are still weak. _

Itachi's eyes roamed over the slender form lying next to his sibling. So this was what Sasuke had been doing all of these years. While Itachi thought that he had been ever plotting, ever scheming, in the eleven years since his last visit, the self-proclaimed avenger had apparently forgotten about revenge. This pink-haired slip of a thing had gotten beneath his skin.

Vermillion eyes narrowed. Obviously, there was not enough hate.

Well, that could be rectified easily. The man in the Akatsuki uniform crossed over to the other side of the bed, passing a small wooden crib. A snap of this lovely neck would be all that was necessary for his brother to loathe and detest him with all the fervour and animosity needed. The man smiled grimly. Sasuke had made a grave mistake. He had allowed people to become special to him. Itachi watched as the girl shifted slightly, resting a hand on his brother's bare chest. The fourth finger on the slender hand was encircled by a plain silver ring, embedded with three minuscule, sheer diamonds.

No, there was definitely not enough hate here. If Kisame were present, he would agree; he needed to dish out some pain here. Create some wounds. Leave some scars.

He stepped closer, and the shaft of moonlight filtering through the window that had been previously blocked by his body shone down on the girl's face. Itachi's brows shot up into his forehead protector. Well, well, well. Sasuke had indeed done well.

It was a slim, pointed face, almost achingly flawless. A smooth, wide forehead heralded large, thickly framed eyes. High cheekbones and a sweeping, upturned mouth gave her an elegant look. She had a button nose and deliciously hollow cheeks. His eyes travelled further down. Her sheet clad form was slim and shapely. Her pink tresses were splayed across her pillow.

Itachi's eyes narrowed into slits, the blood red heating up and the three commas swirling. So this was Sasuke's infamous cherry blossom. The one who had loved him, waited for him. Something akin to rage boiled deep within the assassin. Slowly, he stretched out a hand to clasp the swan-like neck….

….and instead, ended up grazing a thumb against her lower lip.

"Sasuke-kun," she breathed, and he withdrew his hand slowly. He regarded the kunoichi. Such a fragile, beautiful thing was his brother's cherry blossom, so easily crushed.

But….

But what?

The mass murderer of the Uchiha clan stood there for a long time before he made his decision, and left with a rustle of his cloak.

_**END.

* * *

**_

**_A/N: -_** Ha ha! Suspense! Did he kill her? Did her kidnap her? Did he say, "Oh, what the hell, I'll let them live in ignorant bliss for a few more years before I return to crush their happiness once and for all"?

Sorry peoples, but this is a one-shot. I probably won't be continuing it. If enough people ask, and I badger my lazy self into writing more, this just _might_ become a multi-chaptered fic. No more than five chapters though. I doubt I could repress my laziness enough to write more than that.

So what do you all think? Crappy? Trash? Unbelievable? So-so? Nice? Absolutely brilliant? Let me know in a review. :-)


	2. Sasuke's Cherry Blossom 2

_Sasuke's Cherry Blossom_

_Part 2_

**_A/N:-_** Hi! I've been gone for a while, and now I'm back. Internet problems. Lotsa, lotsa internet problems. Right now I'm in my mother's work. Hopefully the glitches in my computer system will be gone for good in a week or so (Daddy's working on it) and I'll be able to update from home. I honestly had no intentions whatsoever of continuing this story, but I've had a lot of time to think, and I came up with a great idea, and on its heels was an even better one! So I have the next few chapters written up, and the others will be coming along.

I'm no longer stuck on Episode 108. In some ways, that's a yay, and in others, it's a great big depressing boo. (Sasuke, how could you? sob) Oh, well. Theatrical sigh.

To read this chapter, you need to do two things:-

1) Read over Chapter 1. I've added in something. It's small, just a phrase, and barely noticeable, but crucial to plot development. I've also changed the time setting. This now takes place eleven years after.

2) Play a game with me. It's a simple game of Pretend. You have to pretend that Sasuke went off to join Orochimaru, stayed a few months, decided it was boring there and he didn't wanna be evil anyway, and came back home to Konoha, where he was welcomed with open arms, and later trained with Kakashi. (You'll really have to suspend reality for this one.)

**_Warning: -_** There is some, what might be termed, Adult Content. Nothing much really. Also, there are spoilers for the anime, Episode 130.

Well, without any further ado, here is Chapter 2 of _Sasuke's Cherry Blossom_. This chapter is extra, extra long, to make up for my long absence. Enjoy it, and let me know what you think about it. :-)

**_Disclaimer:-_** Insert appropriate denial of ownership here.

* * *

She dreamt, and went nostalgic. Through her dreams, she relived those wonderful moments of her past, and revelled in them. It was always a joy to dream of the events that forever changed her life, for when she woke up and realised that they were true, it made her all the more euphoric.

She remembered that afternoon after training, four years ago…..

Kakashi was putting them all through a gruelling training series in preparation for the upcoming Jounin exams that loomed mere weeks in their future. Since Tsunade was swamped with work, and Jiraiya was off on another trip to the mountains, he had agreed to take on his old charges and prepare them along with Sasuke. He pushed them to their limits with extremely challenging missions that tested their strength, agility, intelligence and mastery of techniques. He taught them new jutsus and encouraged them to perfect the ones they already knew.

That day, Kakashi let them all off earlier than usual, around mid-afternoon, as he could clearly see they were all exhausted. Sakura was slumped against a tree, groaning, and Naruto was kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath. Even Sasuke looked winded, and his matte eyes were not as clear and sharp as usual as he bent over, clutching his knees.

Kakashi surveyed them all with his sleepy bronze eye.

"That's it for today," he said, a little too cheerfully for their tastes. "Go home and get some rest. You all deserve it. I expect to see you all here tomorrow at seven o'clock sharp." The trio of Chuunin barely suppressed their groans, knowing that if they were indeed there for seven, all they would see was the Memorial, each other, the grass, maybe a few birds. Certainly no Kakashi.

The thirty-three year old Jounin now turned to them individually.

"Naruto, that was an excellent Summoning Technique you did a while ago, though I'm not sure Gamabunta appreciated it." The mask crinkled as he smiled. The blond grinned, and scratched his head sheepishly.

"Sasuke, you are still up to par, and ever improving. Four Chidori in a day is quite impressive for a nineteen year old." Sasuke inclined his cobalt head and gave a tiny smirk at the praise.

Kakashi's droopy gaze swung to the roseate-haired kunoichi, who clasped her hands in front of her apprehensively.

"Sakura, good job healing Naruto just them. And don't worry Sasuke, I'm sure it was an accident." The eye curved as he smiled, then, narrowed slightly. "However, Sakura, your Fire element techniques are weak. You need to work on them. With your incredible chakra control, I'm sure you can do much better." She bit her lips and nodded, eyes downcast.

"Alright, you three. See you tomorrow morning." And with a cheery salute, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto rolled his eyes and scowled as he got up and dusted the seat of his pants, glaring at the space where Kakashi had been.

"More like tomorrow afternoon, if we're lucky."

Sakura gave a half-hearted agreement and a forced laugh. Sasuke shrugged.

"So." The Kyuubi rubbed his hands together and grinned. "I'm going to Ichiraku's for some miso ramen." The periwinkle eyes seemed to glaze over at the very thought. "I'm supposed to meet Hinata-chan there. Anybody else wanna come?"

The Uchiha declined with a shake of his head. He turned and began walking away, one hand jammed into his pocket and the other raised in a brief, perfunctory wave goodbye. The cherry blossom watched him go forlornly.

"What about you, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura wrenched her gaze away from Sasuke's retreating back and faced Naruto. She gave him a wan, tired smile.

"No, thanks. I'm going to stay here and practise a bit more."

If this surprised Naruto, he didn't say a word.

"Okay then. See you!" He took off down the path at a light jog.

Sakura sighed, long and deep. She waited until the two figures in the distance disappeared, then she pushed herself off of the tree, and stood straight. Arms planted on hips, she breathed in deeply and settled herself. She made the necessary hand seals: Horse, Tiger. She fell into a stance with one foot in front of the other, bent at an angle as she said the words. Concentrating with all her might, she drew on all the chakra deep within her and blew into her cupped hand.

A burst of fire about five feet long issued forth, burning a bright orange, before fizzling out pathetically, not five seconds after it commenced.

Sakura groaned in frustration, letting out a low growl while making a tight little fist at her side. What was she doing wrong? She certainly had enough chakra, and she was sure she was performing the seals precisely. Her stance was correct (1), and she was saying the name of the jutsu right. So what was the problem?

Yet undaunted, she tried again, concentrating harder, focusing all of her mind and body on the task. She went through the steps, and performed the technique.

With the same results.

Inner Sakura uttered a string of curses, and her outer self ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.

She practised non-stop for a half and hour, but got no better. In fact, as time passed, and her chakra depleted, it got worse. Sakura slumped against the tree, bone-weary and just about ready to give up.

"The Horse."

She whipped around, eyes widening into orbs of shock. She stared at Sasuke as if she couldn't believe he was really there, which she couldn't. The dark-haired man jumped off the tree branch and walked towards her, hands lost in the depths of his pockets. Sakura was aware that her mouth was open and she must have the most decidedly stupid expression on her face, but she couldn't help it. She was just registering what he had said.

"What?" she said ingeniously.

"The Horse," he repeated, still walking. Unconsciously, her hands went up to form the seal.

"You're doing it wrong."

He came up behind her, – she could feel his delicious body heat – put his arms around her, – oh God, she was hallucinating, she was not lucid, this wasn't happening – covered her hands with his own, – this wasn't real, she could feel his body against hers, why was he torturing her like this? – and rearranged her fingers – he was touching her, so gently, this had to be a dream….

He removed his hands and came round to her side. Sakura, trembling like a wind-tossed petal, swallowed, and made an attempt at breathing properly for the first time since she'd seen him. She stared at him, bemused, her face a portrait that depicted disbelief and shock. His handsome face, however, was impassive, and no emotions were discernable as he said,

"Two of your fingers were misplaced. You have to be careful not to make mistakes like that just because you're tired."

She stared at him blankly.

He made an impatient gesture with his hands.

"Go on."

"Ah….ano….er…."

"Concentrate on bringing the chakra from your mouth to your chest. Hold it there, and then blow it out, as forcefully as you can (2)." His arms folded in that ubiquitous gesture of his as he watched her expectantly.

"Um….er...yeah, okay."

Still trying to get a grasp on the situation, Sakura made the hand seals, correcting the Horse like Sasuke had shown her. Drawing on the last bit of her chakra, she implemented the steps Sasuke had just advised that she take, and cried,

"Katon; Goukagyuu no Jutsu!"

One last time, she blew into her cupped hand with renewed vehemence. A massive conical flame roared forth, scorching the surrounding grass and trees with its fiery intensity. Sakura stood wide-eyed in wonder for a few seconds before turning to grin at her team-mate.

Sasuke made a satisfied noise and gave a quick nod. He turned, and vaulted into the nearest tree. Before he could spring away, though, Sakura called out to him.

"Sasuke-kun, wait!"

He turned, his dark gaze penetrating her. Blushing, she smiled slightly.

"Arigatou."

There was the barest hint of a smile, come and gone in a moment. Then he nodded, and was gone.

* * *

Sakura shifted, still in the throes of her dreams. Subconsciously, she stroked her husband's chiselled chest, and gave a soft smile. A dark shadow fell across her form, but of course, still in deep slumber, she was not aware of it.

She remembered the time they first kissed………..

It was Sasuke's 20th birthday, and she was carrying him his presents, a new set of weapons and some home-made tonkoro ten(3). She had discarded her usual Jounin uniform to don something akin to her vestments of old. It was short and red, with a mandarin collar; a little flirtatious, but casual. Beneath it she wore a pair of blue tights to cover all that the two daring slits up the sides revealed.

Her stomach was aflutter with butterflies as she entered the Uchiha complex. She hoped he was at home. It _would_ be such a hassle if she had to run all over Konoha: the training grounds, the Memorial, Ichiraku's, looking for him. Of course, nothing was much of a hassle when doing it for Sasuke. But anyway, she wanted to give him his gifts in private.

Sakura looked around her. The streets were dusty and deserted. Not a living soul walked. Most of the houses had long fallen into disrepair. Evidence of the massacre that had taken place there twelve years ago lay in broken windows and rusty discarded weapons. Shuriken marks and kunai gouges marked every surface. The ambiance was eerie and chilling. Despite the hot sun, Sakura shivered, and hurried on.

She came to Sasuke's house soon after. She went up the front steps and knocked tentatively on the front door, heart racing. She had only come here a few times before, strictly by invitation. She hoped he didn't mind.

Five minutes later, he hadn't come to the door. The kunoichi frowned, and knocked again, a little harder this time. Two minutes later there was still no reply. She sighed, disappointed. She was about to walk away when a soft hiccoughing noise oozed out of the walls.

The frown deepened. Furtively, she pushed open the door and stepped inside, taking off her shoes.

"Sasuke-kun?" she called. No answer. Only another soft sound.

The Jounin in her kicked in. Pausing briefly to tie her hitai-ate around her forehead and slip out a kunai, she made a quick perusal of the front room. Satisfied that it was unoccupied, she progressed into the kitchen, then the hallway.

With each passing second that she found nothing, Sakura's worry mounted. Was Sasuke-kun being robbed? Was he lying somewhere in the house, hurt? Both seemed highly unlikely, but they were the only things she could think of to explain away the noise she had heard.

Upon entering the hallway, she made a left, walking stealthily with kunai in hand.

That's when she heard it.

Heart-breaking, gut-wrenching sobs that raked her from head to toe with their sharp knife-like quality. The agony and grief in those cries were palpable, and it saturated the air. They were not loud, but excruciatingly piercing. Alarmed, Sakura broke into a run and turned into Sasuke's room.

That's where she found him, at the foot of his bed, clad in only a pair of pants, head cradled in hands, crying as if he hadn't cried in a millennia. She immediately blanched, and the pall fused with her astonishment. It very nearly did her in, the sight of the normally cool, impassive Sasuke outwardly expressing his grief in such a shattering way.

Flinging her packets on the bed, she dropped to her knees beside him and draped an arm around his shoulders. She stroked him lightly between his shoulder blades and whispered soft, crooning words, encouraging him to get rid of whatever demons he was harbouring. She didn't know what was going on, but she hoped her commiserating would help. She hoped he wouldn't get angry as she suspected Uchiha Sasuke would become if someone barged into his house unexpected and witnessed him in his angst.

She kept up a steady stream of consoling words, but went mute with shock when, without warning, he turned in her arms and began sobbing on her shoulder. His tremors echoed throughout her body, and the pain she felt in his heart made her want to weep too. It was the debilitating anguish of a lifetime of hurt. Through his tears and sobs, she could just barely make out his words.

"He killed them; he killed them all and there was nothing I could do about it. I couldn't protect them, couldn't save them, not one of them. And now, I am unable to avenge them." The sole Uchiha survivor choked on a sob as he clutched his friend's dress. "He was right; I am weak. Twelve yeas have passed, _twelve years_, and I still cannot kill him. I am a failure. A failure." He ended on a soft, throaty whisper.

Sakura could not bear to see him in such grief; her proud, self-assured shinobi. With one finger, she forced his chin up so that he would look at her. Those sharp eyes were red in a way they never were before. The lips were grim, thin, and chapped, trembling every so often. She cupped his face in her hands and brushed back a lock of navy hair.

"Sasuke-kun, listen to me. For whatever reason it was, Itachi murdered those people all those years ago. You cannot blame yourself for that. You were eight years old; there was nothing you could do about it. And don't you dare start with this nonsense about you being a failure. You are one of the strongest ninja in Konoha, a Jounin at nineteen! And don't even say that I am too, because it was only with your help, and Naruto's, that I passed that exam. Sasuke-kun, you have an incredibly bright future ahead of you. Let the events of your past help you, not hinder you. Draw strength from the memories of your loved ones. Don't let Itachi taunt you, especially when he's not even here."

"He will return one day," he said tonelessly.

"And you will be ready!" she cried. "You and the whole of Konoha. Sasuke-kun, I know this will be hard for you, but you have to forget your brother. You have to live, free of him and the pain he has caused. Do it, for yourself."

They knelt there, clutching each other's shoulders, willow eyes colliding with onyx. For a moment, Sakura thought that Sasuke was going to push her away in anger, and she tensed apprehensively. But soon that calm, distant look came into his eyes. He let go of her and sat on the bed, running his long fingers through his hair. Sakura doubted that she had even gotten him to entertain the idea of forgetting Itachi, but at least he was getting back to himself. Sakura stayed on the floor, looking up at him, waiting for him to fully collect himself.

"So," he said a few minutes later, clearing his throat. "Why are you here?"

"Oh." Blushing a delicate shade of azalea, she joined him on the bed, retrieved the gifts and put them on his lap. "Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun." Hesitantly, she placed a feather-light kiss on his cheek.

Sasuke only arched a brow at the gesture. Opening the first packet, he stared down at the gleaming kunai and shuriken. He put that aside, and uncovered the second one. Steam rose up to meet him, enveloping him in the spicy-sweet scent of the tonkoro ten. He set that aside also, and turned to the kunoichi. He sighed, started to speak, and then faltered, as if struggling for words. Finally, he said,

"Arigatou, Sakura."

She smiled.

"You're welcome, Sasuke-kun. It was no problem at all."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I mean, thank you for…for everything."

She beamed, pleased by his gratitude. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words stuck in her throat when a calloused palm reached out and cupped her cheek. Those sharp eyes flitted over her face, as if committing each detail to memory, as his thumb stroked the line of her cheekbone.

She saw it coming, saw his visage drawing nearer, felt his warm breath, but it only registered when their lips touched.

It was a short, chaste, simple kiss, but it affected them both like nothing ever before. Sakura felt her bones liquefy, and tears sprang to her eyes at the pure joy his touch evoked. She had wanted this for a long, long time…. A violent shudder shook Sasuke, and it was as if he could feel her warmth seeping into him. Drawing apart, they stared at each other in absolute wonderment for a few seconds before delving in for more.

His lips danced over hers hungrily, his tongue stroking and tasting her. Waves of sensation spread all over Sakura, and she moaned into his mouth, fingers spread eagle on his chest. She opened her mouth to invite him in, and he came willingly, discovering and plundering her sweet secrets. Her tongue slipped out shyly to meet his, and he captured it greedily, sucking and nibbling.

Pleasure abounded. Sakura explored the angles and planes of his hard chest, teasing and caressing. A finger stroked low down on his stomach, and he sucked in a sharp breath, and let it out on a groan.

"Sakura," he breathed.

His hands were buried in he geranium locks, massaging her scalp. One hands snaked down to brush the side of her breast. Sakura's breath came in short

little pants, and bright lights exploded behind her eyes. She sighed her pleasure.

Drunk on the heady flavour of Sakura, Sasuke's hands roamed to her front zipper, pulling it down. This time, Sakura's intake of breath was one of shock, and her eyes opened, filling with panic. She shook her head and pulled her lips away from his, pushing on his chest.

Sasuke seemed unduly flabbergasted to find his hand in the valley of her breasts, and his lips quickly following. He let go of her instantly, and the action was so abrupt that she almost fell off the bed. He looked at his hands in utter disgust, before dragging them up his face and through his hair. Sakura thought she could sense why….he'd never lost control of a situation like that, lost control of himself. He muttered a few curses, voice holding none of its former passion. He turned away from her and spoke in a low tone.

"Sakura….I.…I'm sorry. I think you should leave."

She could see him battling his demons, and despite her small bout of momentary fear, she was damned if she was going to leave him in this vulnerable state.

"No, Sasuke-kun," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I think I should stay."

He turned to face her, and the surprise and gratitude she saw on his face was all the apology and thanks she needed.

"Come on, the tonkoro ten is getting cold. I brought enough for two for a reason, you know."

* * *

Sakura tossed and turned, feeling the slightest bit uncomfortable. When the next dream came on, however, she settled.

She remembered watching him train…..

She would sit behind him, leaning against a tree, reading, cleaning her weapons, or just watching him practise his taijutsu on a tree trunk. He never spoke, just practised kicks, punches and combos. Every once in a while, he would turn around, as if checking to make sure that she was still there. She would send him a bright smile, and he would nod absently before turning back.

One day, while in the midst of a complicated combo, he spoke. His voice was decisive, as if he had mulled over this for a long time, and had now come to a decision.

"You're going to have to marry me." He sounded belligerent, as if daring her to argue with him. He turned. "You know that, don't you?" She opened her mouth to tell him that she had known for years, but he hurried on.

"You're my sanity, and if I lose you I'll….I'll.…I'll.…So it's settled. I love you, and we're getting married." He gave a quick nod, as if to confirm, and turned back to the tree, delivering a kick that sent quite a few cracks up the side.

The soon-to-be Uchiha Sakura smiled widely at her future husband's back. _I love you too, Sasuke-kun_, she thought, but didn't think it necessary to say it. He had had nine years to get used to it, and had a lot more coming.

* * *

The dream fizzled away, and the sleeping Sakura smiled. It was most certainly the strangest proposal in the history of mankind, but she wouldn't have had it any other way.

She remembered their wedding…..

They were married in the autumn, in a small outdoor ceremony amidst a rain of cherry blossoms. He wore a simple black suit, sandals, and he did not comb his hair. She couldn't remember him ever looking more devastatingly handsome.

Haruno Mitayo had crowed with delight upon hearing that her daughter had roped Uchiha Sasuke, and was quick to lend her her old wedding dress. It was a white strapless gown with a full skirt and a diamond studded train. Sakura looked gorgeous in it, which Sasuke whispered to her as they exchanged rings.

The reception was a light, happy affair. Kakashi and Naruto, well on their way to becoming drunk, walked around telling everyone that the union was all thanks to them; all those times they had been late had provided the couple with ample 'bonding time'. Tsunade gave her protégée heartfelt congratulations while pointedly ignoring Jiraiya's suggestions that they too should get hitched. Of course, quite a few glares were sent Sakura's way, but she was blissfully oblivious to them all.

Ino asked Sasuke to drop Shikamaru a few hints on how to propose. Lee offered his congratulations to Sasuke, surprisingly without any animosity, invitations to compete, ludicrous challenges or dramatic rivers of tears. Gai begrudgingly conceded to Kakashi that he had won this one; Sasuke and Sakura had wedded before his own students. But, he added smugly, Neji and Tenten had realised that they loved each other _years_ ago; they were just _waiting_ to get married.

Anko tried to crash the party with one of her famous entrances, but she was unsuccessful. No one paid any attention to her. They were too busy watching Asuma and Kurenai necking in a tree. Kakashi murmured, "About damn time," and whisked Ayame off to dance. Naruto and Kiba soon got into a brawl, (Naruto found dog hair in the punch) and Sasuke and Shino took great pleasure in breaking them up, along with a few bones. After scolding her husband and the Aburame heir, Sakura performed some emergency healing jutsus.

Chouji got in trouble with Sakura's mother for hogging the chips. When he protested that he was a growing man, she said that he couldn't possibly grow any more, and snatched the bowl away. A few minutes later though, he had stolen it again, and was happily munching away. Hinata spent most of the evening sitting down talking to Shizune. She was visibly delighted when a drunken Naruto, hiccoughing out of control, asked her for a dance.

Neji and Tenten sat on a bench, talking quietly. Every few minutes, he would touch her cheek, or play with her hair. Eavesdroppers and onlookers 'oohed' and 'awwed' at the public display of affection by the stoic Hyuuga. Sasuke approached Shikamaru on behalf of Ino. The shadow manipulator considered a moment, and then said that maybe Ino should propose; it was really just too troublesome for him. Sasuke shrugged, and went back to diligently dodging Sakura's father, who was fixing to give him a lecture on a wealth of embarrassing things. Asuma and Kurenai finally came down from the tree and endured some good natured ribbing from Genma, Kotetsu and Izumo.

Soon, it was time to throw the bouquet(4). Sakura stood in front of her friends and family, suffused with happiness, and waited for all the young ladies to jostle to the front of the crowd. (Tsunade went to the back, much to Jiraiya's consternation.) When everyone was in position, Sakura turned, and flung the arrangement of flowers over her head.

It flew straight at Tenten, who caught it, and threw it right back with perfect marksmanship, saying that she and Neji had already decided to get married, and someone else should get a chance. So there was a re-throw. This time, the bouquet fell into Hinata's unsuspecting arms. She went scarlet, while everyone else turned to look pointedly at Naruto, who looked up from his bowl of ramen, mouth over-flowing and said,

"Wha?"

Later, on the walk home, Sakura told Sasuke that it had been the most wonderful, amazing day of her life. To which her husband replied that she had a lot more of those days coming.

* * *

Sakura rolled over. Sasuke had certainly made good on that promise. It had been a great three years. Yet again, her mouth curved upwards in sleep. She was ready to wake up now, and face her living dreams. She swam through the hazy images of the familiar phantasmagoria. With considerable effort, she pried open her sleep-heavy lids.

Sea green eyes met obsidian.

……………

* * *

**_A/N:- _**I seem to be accumulating an affinity for cliff-hangers. Tee hee.

(1) – Is stance even important in performing jutsus? Feh, I don't care.

(2) – Anyone recognise these words? It's almost the exact same thing that Sasuke's dad told him in Episode 130 when teaching him the jutsu. And now Sasuke's telling it to her. How kawaii. :-)

(3) – Transparent noodles eaten together with black honey and vinegar.

(4) – Yes, yes, a Christian custom. Ditto the ring thing, yeah.

Okay, so what this chapter really tries to do is give you all an idea of how Sasuke and Sakura came together at last, in a few scenes. You know, how she thawed him out until he warmed up to her and realised how much he needed her in his life. I didn't want to just start off the story and wham! They're already together and stuff. So I just needed to give you all the background. I hope it didn't come across as too melodramatic, especially that scene where Sasuke cries. I wanted to portray him as being very hurt, confused, lost and losing his grip on his feelings. I hope I succeeded. And with the reception for their wedding, I wanted to make it clear where all the other couples stood and stuff. I had a lot of fun writing the wedding scene actually, and imagining what everyone would be doing. So I'm glad everyone seemed to like that part.

Just so you know, I would have posted this earlier, but during the time I wrote this, I was going through one of my writer phases. I don't know if y'all are familiar with it. I call this one the Everything-I-write-is-shit-complete-shit-just-shit-oh-God-did-I-actually-write-this-crap-it's-just-so-much-shit-my-God-this-actually-came-from-my-mind-oh-Lord-its-like-a-pigeon-with-diarrhea-it's-just-so-much-SHIT-phase. Yeah. I really hated this, and was going to trash it, but my little writing demon saved it. He's the one that pops up every few months, squeezes a couple hundred thousand words out of me and then leaves me hanging dry. He wouldn't let me get rid of everything he had laboured over. That said, I have up to Chapter Five written up, but Six and onwards might have to wait until the demon shows up again. Just FYI.

One more thing.

To all of the lovely, lovely people who have reviewed thus far, gave kind comments and constructive criticism, and encouraged me to further this story, thanks a million¡Muchas gracias! Merci bien! Arigatou gozaimasu!

Okay, I'm done now.

See that little purple button? It's begging you to go click.


	3. Sasuke's Cherry Blossom 3

_Sasuke's Cherry Blossom_

_Part 3_

**_A/N:-_** Hi, hi. Update! Much thanks to everyone who has reviewed thus far; it's _really_ appreciated. Love y'all. Sorry that it took so long for me to updtae. I still don't have Internet at home. Yeah, it's sucks, I know.

**Tsuki Angel**:- Ayame is the ramen girl at Ichiraku's. In Episode 101, she saw Kakashi's face, so I thought it would be cute. :-)

Oh yeah, I…..um…..er..…don't have a beta reader. Not that I need one. Nope, not me. I just…..you know, felt like mentioning the fact that I..…ah..…don't have a beta reader. You know. That's all. ( --- Blatantly obvious hint. :-) )

**_Warning:-_** A little more of that so-called Adult Content.

**_Disclaimer:-_** Do you really think that I could come up with anything as complex and intricate and wonderful as _Naruto_? You're kidding yourself.

* * *

Sakura drank in the sight of her husband like a parched animal. The deep blue hair, those cool, coal eyes, the angled face. His mouth was set in a line, but she had never needed to see the smile on his lips to recognize it in his eyes. 

"Good morning, sleepy," he said in a deep husky voice, leaning over to kiss her throat in one of those displays of affection that she lived for.

"Good morning." She stretched lazily, arms over her head, smiling coyly. "Did you have a good night's sleep?"

The eyes flickered back, as if trying to remember something. His forehead creased in a frown. He soon gave up though, and shrugged.

"Yeah. How about you?"

She grinned widely.

"Oh, my night was lovely. I dreamt about us, in the past."

"And I surmise you had I good time?"

"Oh, yes." She giggled. "Do you remember Naruto and Kiba's fight at the wedding?"

He rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"How could I forget? The two idiots were practically rolling on the table." He smirked. "Good thing Shino and I were there to take care of things."

"Good thing indeed," she said dryly, tapping him on the shoulder. "How _is_ Shino? I haven't seen him in a while."

"He's finally stopped dodging the ANBU and agreed to work with us. He's joining Neji's platoon in place of Tenten as of next week."

"Oh yeah, she going on maternity leave, isn't she?" Sakura gave a little nervous laugh. "No matter how many babies I've helped bring into this world, I'm still going to be anxious about delivering a Hyuuga."

"You're going to be fine, Sakura." He rolled on top of her completely, placing his elbows on either side of her to support his weight. "Just fine."

His head descended, and she rose to meet him halfway. Their lips locked, fused, and tangled. Her hands ran through his hair and down his back, dappling over his sinewy muscles. He murmured his love against her mouth before moving across to her ear. His tongue tickled her, delighted her, drove her wild, and she was quick to pay him back in turn. She placed wet butterfly kisses on his stubbly cheek, the line of his jaw, his throat.

Sasuke winced, and drew away from her. Worry pushed the passion out of her eyes, and she reached out to touch his shoulder.

"Are you okay? What's the matter?"

He shook his head slowly.

"Sorry…nothing…it's just that when you touched my throat there, I had this pain."

Her eyes sought out his, asking an unvoiced question. He vetoed it right away, fingering the spot.

"No, it's not the curse seal. Just a dull ache. Been sort of bothering me since I woke."

She studied that part of his neck. It was slightly red.

"Come here."

Sakura stretched out her hand and covered the bruise. Chakra glowed beneath her palm for a few moments before she took it away.

"Thanks," he said absently. Even though it no longer hurt, he continued to rub the area. His eyes narrowed into slits, his brow creased and something of a scowl etched on his lips. "Sakura….something is wrong here." He glanced around the room. He got back that look on his face that suggested he was trying to remember something. Sakura looked at him apprehensively, wondering what was going on.

Abruptly, Sasuke dug under the covers and retrieved a kunai. The look that took over his face as he held it up was one of insurmountable rage, and it very nearly frightened her. She hadn't seen that look on his face in years.

"He was here. Damn it, that bastard was here."

She didn't need to ask who. Fear flooded her.

"Are you sure?"

Sakura could feel, rather than see his anger mounting.

"Oh, he was here alright. That bastard. He was here, watching us."

Sakura perused the room, and got a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Sasuke, you're right, something is wrong here. Kisho(1)…he would normally be awake by now, and crying for his milk."

A look of abject terror crossed his face.

"No, no, no…kami-sama, no."

He vaulted off the bed and raced to the small wooden crib across the room. He flung off the netting, and choked on a dry sob. He turned to his wife, agony etched on his face.

"Sakura, he's gone. Oh, God, Sakura, he's gone. Itachi took our son."

_**THE END.**_

**_

* * *

A/N:-_** Well, what do you think? Nice little twist, eh? Comments and critiques greatly appreciated (and greatly coveted, actually). I hope everyone liked it. 

1- This name was borrowed from a fic by the talented Icarusy. The character was also Sasuke and Sakura's son, and I have absolutely no imagination when it comes to Japanese names, so…….Arigatou.


	4. Sasuke's Cherry Blossom 4

_**Sasuke's Cherry Blossom **_

_**Part 4**_

**_A/N: -_** Chapter Four already! I feel so proud. In the first instalment of this story, I said that it would only be five chapters long, but that's unlikely now, as I have big plans for this fic. More likely, now it'll be ten or fifteen chapters long.

Thanks to **XxRyuuMegamiXx**, who picked up on my not-so-subtle hint, and offered to beta the fic for me. It's much appreciated.

_**Warning: -** _There's some language in this one (from Naruto and Sasuke, who else?).

Oh yeah, it's more or less common knowledge now that Naruto is the Kyuubi vessel. At least among those close to him.

Well…..enjoy!

* * *

**_Disclaimer: -_** What! I don't own _Naruto_? My God, you're a heinous liar. I really could have sworn that I did.

It was a sombre group of Jounin that met two hours later in ANBU Headquarters. Sakura sat hunched over in a chair, weeping softly. Sasuke stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder while barely controlling his rage. He was visibly tense, and the inaction was killing him.

Ino knelt by her friend's side, comforting her as best as she could. Neji was dispassionate as usual as he helped his wife in, who looked at Sakura pityingly while rubbing her swelling belly. Shino, Chouji and Kiba were solemn and quiet. Shikamaru clapped Sasuke on the back before advancing to his own seat. Lee stood stony-faced with fury at Sasuke's side. Hinata was trying to calm down Naruto, who was making enough noise for them all.

"What are we still doing here?" he growled. "Let's go out and hunt down that asshole! We don't need to have a meeting to decide that. That bastard's gone _way_ too far. First he kills his whole clan, then he tries to kidnap me, messes with Sasuke, and now he kidnaps my godson!" He ended on a roar. "I say we form a few platoons, go out, get Kisho, and get rid of that son of a bitch once and for all!"

Sasuke glanced briefly at Naruto, but otherwise ignored the slander on his mother.

Shikamaru sighed wearily.

"Naruto, sit down. Don't get so worked up. Acting this rashly isn't going to help us at all. Now, does anyone know if Tsunade-sama and the other Jounin will be in attendance?"

Hinata spoke up softly.

"Yes, they'll be here, but a little late."

Tenten had a question.

"How come this meeting isn't being held in the Hokage's office?"

Hinata answered her.

"Tsunade-sama has a very important meeting with some foreign shinobi right now; she thought it would be best to give us all some time to assemble, and then get here. She shouldn't be too long in coming."

No sooner than the words were out of her mouth, than the Godaime Hokage, The Copy ninja, the Genjutsu specialist and the chain-smoking Jounin came in through the door. Good mornings were said and small words of condolence exchanged.

Tsunade took a seat, and wasted no time in beginning. She regarded the assembled shinobi seriously, and flung a chamois braid over her shoulder.

"Ohayou, everyone. I'm sure by now everybody has been briefed on the situation, but I'll go through it shortly just in case. Sometime early this morning, little Uchiha Kisho, one and a half year old son of Uchiha Sasuke and Sakura was kidnapped, presumably by the missing-nin Uchiha Itachi."

Sasuke swung his head from side to side.

"Not presumably..…definitely. I'm sure of it."

"Okay, Sasuke, I'll take your word for it. Now, this meeting of fellow ANBU, ninja and close friends has been called to get our information together, decide what we're going to do and how we're going to go about retrieving Kisho.

"Firstly, Sasuke and Sakura, I need to ask you some questions."

Sakura raised her head and gave a mournful hiccough. Drying her face with a proffered handkerchief from her husband, she nodded.

"Okay. How and when did you discover Kisho was gone?"

Sasuke spoke up, his voice dry and raw.

"A little after we got up this morning, which was around seven. I had a dull ache in my neck – probably where he struck me to keep me from awakening – and after, I remembered grabbing a kunai during the night because I had sensed danger. I immediately went and checked the crib. It was empty. I knew it was him. I could feel it."

Tsunade nodded once.

"And this kidnapping, do you think it is Akatsuki related, or otherwise?"

Sasuke drew a deep, ragged breath.

"I'm pretty sure this is personal for him."

"Okay," began Tsunade again, surveying them all. "Normally, recovering a kidnapped person would be classed as a B-rank mission. But since this one involves the S-class criminal Uchiha Itachi, who is extremely clever and dangerous, it is elevated to an S-rank.

"We will need three platoons. One to search Konoha, ask questions and make enquires, just in case Itachi was here for a prolonged period of time, or is still here, which I highly doubt. The other two will venture to the north and the east in search."

The Hokage took out a piece of paper and started scribbling as she spoke.

"These platoons will consist of…..ah…..let's see…..Shikamaru, Shino, Neji, Naruto, Hinata, Lee, Tenten, Kakashi, Asuma and Kurenai."

Sasuke gave something of a roar, and slammed his fist against the back of the chair. The incredulity of his voice was evident. Sakura sat straight up, surprise embedded into her features as she stared open-mouthed at the Godaime. Tsunade turned to face them, lifting a delicate eyebrow.

"Tsunade-sama, you cannot be serious. Sakura and I..…"

"Are too personally involved for my taste," the Hokage finished coolly.

Sasuke looked ready to explode, and explode he did.

"Of course we're personally fucking involved!" he yelled. "He is our son!"

"Sasuke..…" Kakashi said in warning.

Tsunade's brows knitted together as she glared.

"_That_," she said, hazel eyes cold, "is exactly why I deigned to leave you out of this. When it comes to Itachi, you let your rage control you. You move blindly, thinking only of revenge, and this could potentially endanger the welfare of your son." She then turned to the pink-haired kunoichi. "And _you_ are wont to let your tumultuous emotions govern you. That could be disastrous in a situation like this that requires composure and level-headedness at all times."

"Tsunade-sama, I will be…..I assure you! Please, you have to understand," implored Sakura, eyes pleading. "This isn't about Itachi. It's about our son. Sasuke-kun knows that." She twisted in her seat. "Don't you, honey?"

Sasuke, face hard as granite, only folded his arms across his chest and said nothing.

Tsunade turned to Sakura.

"_You_ must understand. No matter which way you take it, for Sasuke, this is about Itachi. Of course, Kisho too, no doubt; but his hatred of his brother will cloud his mind to that."

Kakashi spoke up solemnly.

"Tsunade-sama is right, Sasuke. You become unstable where Itachi is concerned. Deciding to give up your quest to kill your brother was one of the best decisions you've ever made. Don't spoil it now."

"The best decision!" Sasuke raved, eyes morphing vermilion. "The best fucking decision! Look where it's gotten me. He's kidnapped my son and you say it was the best decision I've made!" He made to take a step forward, but Lee grasped his wrist and whispered something unintelligible at the side of his mouth.

"Tsunade no baa-chan(1)," Naruto said uneasily, sidling his eyes between the Hokage and his comrade, "I think Sasuke and Sakura-chan should be allowed to….."

"Naruto, stay out of this," she said curtly. "My decision is final. Sasuke, Sakura, I do not deny that you are excellent shinobi, but Sasuke, you are liable to become impulsive and a risk to the mission. The same for you, Sakura, with your emotional state."

Sakura stared at her mentor in sheer disbelief. She could not be made to stay at home, doing nothing but grieving for Kisho, wondering where he was, if he was alive; she could not, _would_ not. Frantically, she wracked her brains for something. Behind her, Sasuke gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Tsunade-sama, you will need a medic!" Sakura said suddenly in a near shout.

"We have Hinata," the Godaime shot back, unfazed.

"You will need two!" countered Sakura, beginning to sound hysterical.

Tsunade was becoming more frustrated and indignant by the moment. A vein bulged in the middle of her forehead as her notorious short-tempered nature threatened to unleash itself.

"Uchiha Sakura, I said that….."

"Tsunade-sama?" A new voice joined the argument; a calm, cool drawl that was somehow also bored.

"What is it, Shikamaru?" she snapped.

"With all due respect, Tsunade-sama, no matter how personally involved they are, we need Sasuke and Sakura. They are two of Konoha's finest; there's no denying it. They both have expertise in fields that we will find imperative. We will need Sharingan to beat Sharingan, and Kakashi's left eye is not enough. And as a medic, Sakura is surpassed only by you."

Tsunade scowled, and closed her eyes. The genius was right, of course, but…..

"Hokage-sama, I agree with Shika," Ino spoke up. "I'd gladly give up my position in this mission for Sakura."

"Yeah, me too," said Kiba, nodding. "Sasuke deserves to be here way more than I do."

Tsunade looked round at the faces in the room, most of which seemed to be silently imploring to her. She heaved a sigh. She couldn't forgo the fact that they were right; Sasuke and Sakura deserved to be on the teams, and they were both valuable assets. But Sasuke was a disaster waiting to happen and Sakura could turn out to be an emotional wreckage.

Tsunade weighed both factors in her mind for about two minutes. Every eye was on her as she mulled over it. Finally, she made a decision. She exhaled, and shook her head, frowning. She was probably going to regret this.

"Alright, alright. You two can go."

Sakura squealed her delight and relief, and Sasuke unclenched his fists and gave an appreciative nod.

The Godaime wasn't finished though.

"But if I get word that either of you, or _any_ of you, for that matter," she amended, casting a glower around the room, "are endangering the success of the mission in any way, you will be sent home and replaced immediately. Got it?"

A murmur of assent echoed throughout the room.

"Good." The blonde looked down at her hastily scribbled notes. "I think we can find a use for every person in this room.

"Asuma, Shino, Lee and Tenten will be the platoon assigned to duty in Konoha." Lee looked slightly disappointed, but said nothing. "Tenten, are you sure you want to do this on your maternity leave, or are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Tsunade-sama," she said hastily, before her husband could say otherwise. She turned to face him. "Don't worry, Neji, I'm going to be okay. I can take care of myself, and you know it. I'm only going to be making enquires after all." She patted his hand soothingly, but this failed to placate him, and he only scowled at her. Undaunted, she gave him a brilliant smile. "Anyway, I'm only four months pregnant. I wouldn't even be on maternity leave this early if it wasn't for you. Don't worry; I won't let anyone know about your surreptitious over-protectiveness." She gave him a grin and a wink, and was rewarded with the slightest suggestion of a smile.

She turned back to the meeting, where Tsunade was moving on.

"Chouji, Kiba and Ino, I need you to do some desk work for me." Kiba and Chouji groaned, but Ino seemed happy to help in whatever way she could. "I want you to go through the records, files, old mission reports; everything, and compile as much information on Uchiha Itachi as you can find. I need it by tomorrow morning to give to our next two platoons before they head out. The Sandaime's library resources will be available to you, as well as mine. And if Shizune is free, I'm sure she'll be glad to help you."

The three shinobi digested their instructions and nodded.

"Now, I know that putting off leaving until tomorrow will set you all back quite a while, but it cannot be helped. I will not have any of you face Uchiha Itachi without a complete and intricate knowledge of his skills, abilities and capacity. To do otherwise would be sending you to your deaths."

Everyone nodded, though Sasuke looked a tad bit peeved, and Sakura seemed disappointed.

Tsunade continued.

"Neji, Sakura and Sasuke will be in a platoon with Kakashi….."

The young Sharingan user narrowed his eyes.

"Hokage-sama, I know what you're trying to do, and let me tell you, I don't need a chaperone."

She ignored him and went right ahead.

"…..and Kurenai, Naruto, Hinata and Shikamaru will make up the last squad.

"Anonymity will do us well, so the last two platoons will don their ANBU uniforms and masks. Kakashi, Kurenai, Shikamaru, Hinata and Sakura, uniforms will be provided for you and fake tattoos doled out where necessary."

Her golden-brown almond eyes surveyed them all.

"Konoha-nin, I know that all of you are familiar with little Uchiha Kisho, and he didn't fail to irreversibly charm each of you. I myself am enamoured of the little sweetheart. But you must not let anything prevent you from exercising anything less than extreme caution. I cannot stress enough how powerful, crafty and dangerous a shinobi Uchiha Itachi is. And if his partner Hoshigaki Kisame is somehow also involved, there will be even more trouble." She paused, and relaxed her grave demeanour to give them an encouraging smile.

"But I have faith in you, your growths and strengths. Shikamaru was right; assembled here are Konoha's finest. How could we go wrong with an Uchiha prodigy, wielder of the Sharingan; a Hyuuga prodigy, wielder of the Byakugan; the infamous Copy Ninja; a well-rounded, brawling Jounin; a genjutsu specialist; a taijutsu specialist; a weapons specialist; a genius; a mind manipulator; the best two medics in all of Konoha; a beast master; a clever bug-controller; a truly brave shinobi whose stoutness of body is rivalled only by the stoutness of his heart; and the Kyuubi?

"I have no doubts that this mission can and will be successful. I myself would have liked to accompany you all. If only the Chuunin Exams weren't taking place in Konoha this year….."

"Don't worry, Hokage-sama," Kakashi interjected. "Your trust is well founded. We'll be fine."

She gave a quick nod.

"Alright everyone, see you tomorrow morning at five thirty." She got up from her seat. "I have to be going now. The examinees for the Chuunin Selection should be arriving any time now. Meeting adjourned."

Tsunade strode to the door, where a dark-haired figure clutching a pink, squealing bundle met her, and started speaking rapidly as they walked away.

In the room, the remaining shinobi sat uneasily. Glances were shared, and a few awkward coughs sounded. Then, one by one, they all filed out of the room.

……………

* * *

**_A/N: -_** (1) – Granny; old lady; things to that effect.

My exams started not too long ago, and they'll last for about a week and a half. I'm not too sure when I'll next be able to get to an Internet café, so y'all will be in for a bit a longer wait than usual for Chapter Five. (Yep, not having Internet at home sucks ass.) Sorry. And after that, well…..the block hasn't lifted, but I'll try my best to get Chapter Six done in no more than two weeks. The good news is, by that time, I'll be on vacation, and I'll have all my time to devote to this fic.

See y'all later!


	5. Sasuke's Cherry Blossom 5

_**Sasuke's Cherry Blossom**_

_**Part 5**_

**_A/N: - _**Hi all. Chapter 5 up! I'm on vacation now, so you know what that means……(!) Free Time is no longer a fleeting butterfly; it is a lethargic tortoise whose back I can sit upon and gloat evilly.

Note: - About Naruto, and his being the Kyuubi….. I mentioned before that his friends (which basically includes everyone at the meeting) are now aware of his identity. I just realised that I should probably give some details or a little background info on how they found out, how some of them were freaked out, and how long it took for them to get used to the fact; maybe some of them had suspected that there was something strange about him, and stuff and crap like that, but I'm lazy. **_Really_** lazy. Really. So……..

**_Disclaimer:-_** I was looking at my birth certificate yesterday. Funny; it _didn't_ say Kishimoto Masashi.

* * *

The cloaked man abruptly shortened his next leap and landed on the nearest branch. The bundle in his arms was wriggling, and he couldn't take the maddening distraction any longer. He held the blanket up to a golden ray of light that the afternoon sun emitted, and looked the thing in its eyes.

They were eyes unnervingly like his own; pitch black and well-deep, set in a pale, chubby face. These eyes, however, were happy, warm, trusting, and radiated a purity, an innocence that the only other two existing Uchiha men had lost aeons ago.

Nonetheless, they were his father's eyes, and the same could be said about the soft, curling hair. It was the same cobalt hue, and the nose was just as straight and short. The forehead, however, was his mother's, as was his disposition. The child wouldn't stop grinning that toothy grin, or making that joyful, gurgling noise. Itachi stared balefully and jadedly as a healthy amount of drool dripped from the baby's mouth onto his sleeve, darkening the colour as it spread.

Itachi thought that the boy's happiness could be due to the fact that he mistook the person holding him for his father. He and Sasuke had always looked remarkably alike.

Ah, Sasuke. His always foolish otouto. Itachi smiled grimly to imagine him now; stark with ire and incredulity, fear forming itself in his bones, panic solidifying in his throat, running around, putting things together, making plans, looking, searching……. and once in a while, stopping to console his sobbing cherry blossom.

Itachi's eyes narrowed to remember the pretty girl at his brother's side. There had been something about her, something so damnably pure and undiluted that he had found himself wanting to wring out of her, even as it made him want to possess her. Sasuke's cherry blossom, eh… …? Something that resembled rage simmered beneath his surface, and his grip on his nephew tightened.

The infant giggled as if he was being tickled, and Itachi turned his attention back to him. He relaxed his hold, and the child took the opportunity to giddily try for a swipe at his captor's nose, giggling all the while. The man jerked back abruptly, eyeing the boy warily.

"Tu-sa, tu-sa!" Kisho gurgled happily. It took Itachi a while to figure out that the child was trying to say 'father'. He glared at him mildly.

"I am not your otou-san."

"Tu-sa!"

The hooded man sighed. He wrapped the child within the folds of his cloak, quietly demanded that he stop squirming, and continued his swift, silent journey throughout the forest. The tiny bundle that represented the first step towards reviving the clan calmed down.

Sasuke………

Eleven years ago, when Sasuke had been relentlessly pursuing him with the fervor of a wounded heart rent with loathing, Itachi had not been concerned with him. He had had far more important obligations. Sasuke was nothing but a pest, a bother.

Since then, all attempts to capture Naruto and harness the power of the Kyuubi had failed, and the Akatsuki had disbanded, driven apart by conflict. There were too many warring personalities and power-hungry natures within the group. Their ambition had brought about their downfall, and imminently, the dissolving of the organisation.

Now…… now, he was ready for his little brother. Now, he would let Sasuke entertain him. He would see…..

On a frigid, windy night a long time ago, when the luminescent moon had coaxed shadows out of crevices, Itachi had told his otouto some very important things. He would now see how well Sasuke remembered. He had set a challenge, and his little brother had yet to rise to the occasion. The hate…. it was diminishing, and he planned to drive it back into Sasuke. Forcefully. Jarringly.

And the child……

Itachi smiled thinly and blandly. Little Kisho would be the perfect medium with which to test him.

He _had_ thought briefly about using his brother's wife. Even now, her almost disturbing pulchritude haunted him. Her satin skin, her uniquely coloured tresses……Sasuke had indeed caught himself a prize. But she…… she would come into play later.

A chubby little hand reached up to tug on his midnight hair.

"Tu-sa!" the infant said cheerily, his two brilliantly white teeth standing out like pearls in the oyster-like flesh of his gums.

"I am not your otou-san," the pariah reiterated, a tad irritably, eyes locking with those of his nephew.

"I am your oji-san(1)."

* * *

Ino jumped down from the ladder, a thick, dusty volume encased in her arms. She succumbed to a tiny fit of coughs before dropping the book on a small table and dusting it free of the dirt and cobwebs that had accumulated with time.

Over at the lager table where he sat with Chouji, Kiba let out a low whistle as he hunched over a scroll.

"It says here, on one mission to Takigakure no Sato, to eradicate a notorious group of blood-thirsty thugs who were terrorizing the people; Itachi's platoon awoke one morning to find him missing. He wasn't anywhere in the area either. When they arrived at the Waterfall Village that afternoon, they found a pile of dead bodies – later identified as their targets – and their platoon leader laid back on a tree branch nearby, cleaning his weapons. He told them that he had gotten restless during the night, and needed something to do, so he'd decided that he might as well complete the mission." Kiba shook his head. "The guy was _eleven_," he added in awe and disbelief.

Ino joined them, hefting the book unto the table with a dull thud that sent billows of dust particles into the air. Kiba scowled at her as he coughed, while Chouji merely waved the dust away from his face and kept on writing patiently, intermittently taking a chip from the bowl next to him.

"Wow," the blonde said, flipping pages and scanning them slowly. "Eleven years old? He really was amazing. Geniuses like that only come around once in a millennium. It's too bad he had to go and….. well, you know."

"Gotta wonder what drives a guy like him to do something like that," Kiba commented as he absently scratched behind Akamaru's milk-white ear. The muscular hound growled his pleasure.

"Kiba, should I put down that last thing you said?" Chouji asked. He was writing down all the useful information that they found in a scroll, later to be duplicated by a jutsu that Ino knew.

"Nah, it's not necessary," came the answer. "It's more or less just an example of his skills."

"Here's something," Ino piped up, a long fingernail tracing a line in the tome she was perusing. "It says that in the Uchiha clan, there exists a variation of the Sharingan, called the Mangekyou Sharingan. Over the years, only very few of the most skilled Uchihas have been able to acquire it. Doesn't expatiate though, or say anything about the jutsu itself." She looked up. "Hmm….. I think we should include it. Itachi was the clan's greatest genius, so he's probably able to do it. I think it's safe to assume in this case."

"Okay," Chouji said, and commenced writing again.

"That should do it, shouldn't it?" said Ino, snapping the book shut after a few more minutes of reading through. "I think we've compiled everything that's imperative."

"Yeah," Kiba agreed, getting up. He glanced out the window of the Hokage's library at the moon. Judging by its position, it was about eight o'clock. They'd been working for almost ten hours straight. The Inuzuka male felt cramped and restless, full of pent-up energy. He wished _he_ was going on a mission tomorrow morning.

Ino gathered up all the books, scrolls and reports that they had used as references and began putting them away. Kiba assisted her as Chouji put the finishing touches on the scroll.

The door to the library creaked open, and Shizune's head poked in.

"Hi!" she said cheerily. "Refreshments!" She stepped in, holding a tray with three cups of hot ramen.

"Ahh….." said Kiba, going over to help her, succumbing to the lure of food and completely forgetting about the fact that he was aiding Ino. "And not a second too soon. We just finished." He took the tray from Tsunade's assistant and set a cup down on the table for Chouji, and the other one next to Ino. He settled down on the couch with his own.

"Oh, you all are done?" asked Shizune, a little shocked. She propped herself up on one corner of the table. "I thought you all would have gone well into the night." She nibbled on her lower lip. "Hmm…….I should probably inform Hokage-sama. It really is important that the two platoons leave as early as possible. We don't want Itachi to cross the border of the Fire Country before they get to him." She followed the scroll's journey through the air as it sailed from Chouji's hand to Ino's. "Considering everything there is to be said about this missing-nin, and all you had to look through, you all made pretty good time. Are you sure you've covered everything?"

"Yup," Ino assured, in the midst of performing the seals for the Duplication technique. "We included a brief history of his life, the dates of his promotions, his known skills, techniques he's known for using, personality sketches as described by fellow platoon members, a few examples of the extraordinary things he's accomplished, a few mission reports, and a couple of paragraphs on his partner, Hoshigaki Kisame for good measure."

"Good, good," Shizune murmured.

"So, the two platoons are leaving tonight?" enquired Kiba, feeding Akamaru a noodle.

Shizune nodded.

"It would be best."

"Shikamaru's not going to be happy," Chouji commented.

"That lazy-ass," Ino muttered of her boyfriend under her breath as she presented Shizune with the scrolls.

"Thanks." The raven-haired kunoichi picked up the tray and walked to the door. "I'm going to inform Tsunade-sama. The platoons should be leaving in a half an hour."

"Humph. I guess I better go tell him bye." Ino cleared away all her stuff and got ready to leave.

"Just one more thing," the Godaime's attendant called out. She held up the scrolls. "They're detailed, right? It's really vital that they are."

"Yeah," said the blonde. She was poised on the windowsill, ready to vault onto the rooftops. "We made sure of that. Right Chouji?"

The thick-set man grunted an affirmative, not pausing to look up from his miso ramen.

"There's one thing, though," the blue-eyed girl continued. "The Mangekyou Sharingan. It's a variant of the Sharingan, and we're pretty sure that Itachi possesses this doujutsu, but we got no information whatsoever on it. The book just mentioned it in passing." She cocked her head thoughtfully. "Actually, Sasuke-kun should know, shouldn't he? He should be able to tell y'all about this Kaleidoscope Sharingan."

* * *

Sakura finished packing her pouches and got up from the table. She walked over to the bedside stand, and as she placed the four pouches there – two for her arsenal, two for medicinal supplies – the forgotten familiarity of the action jarred her momentarily. This would be her first mission in a long time.

Sasuke was still over at the desk, cleaning his weapons. The corded muscles in his back were tight and tense as he worked. He wiped each kunai swiftly in a fierce, angry rhythm.

The atmosphere was saturated with tension and intensity.

Sakura sighed, and climbed into bed. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried hard not to think about plump little hands grabbing her cherry locks, and popping it into a mouth full of spittle, to clamp baby gums around it, chirping, "Ka-sa, ka-sa!" She laboured not to remember that sweet little face, so reminiscent of his father's, so often turned up in a squeal of delight; alight with the laughter and joy of the innocents.

Her lids fluttered rapidly, blinking away tears. She had to be strong; she had to keep her composure. They would get him back, or perish in the endeavour. That was a surety.

Sasuke got up from the table, finally finished, and placed his artillery, along with his white tiger mask, next to her supplies on the nightstand. He walked around to the other side of the bed and sat above the covers, the weight of his frame jostling her slightly. He did not speak, and nor did she. They remained immobile in the suspended silence for a few minutes, their simultaneous lugubriousness mounting a barrier between them.

Presently, her hand snaked out from beneath the sheets to clutch his where it lay near his thigh. She gave it a little squeeze, trying to search behind the waterfall of navy-blue hair to find his eyes. Seconds passed before she felt him give a little tug in reply. Relieved, she spoke, softly.

"Come on, get in bed, hmm? You need to rest for tomorrow."

He swung his legs unto the bed in answer, but he did not lie down. He pulled her palm into his lap and enveloped it in both hands, rubbing and caressing it absently. Soon, he turned to face her, and his onyx eyes bore into hers.

"I will get him back," he intoned solemnly. "I promise."

"_We_ will get him back," his wife amended.

The Uchiha survivor heaved a sigh and shook his head. He eased his hands away from their entwinement with hers to rake them through his hair.

"This is my fault." It was a statement, made flatly and morosely.

"Oh, Sasuke, not that spiel again!" Sakura sat up in bed, frustrated. She was tired of seeing Sasuke try to shoulder the blame for everything that went amiss.

"I should have seen to my brother years ago," said her husband, harshly and darkly. "I knew something like this would happen, and still I let him……" He cut himself off with a worn sigh. He remained taciturn for a few moments before continuing. "This time, when the life of my son, someone who is infinitely precious to me, is at stake, I will not falter. This time, for sure, I will kill him." His tone was cold with conviction.

Sakura swallowed a little, and her indignation abated as worry and uncertainty took over. She grasped his hand tightly.

"Will you use it?"

He heaved another sigh.

"I don't see how I can avoid it. To beat him, I'll have to use it."

Geranium locks quavered as the kunoichi shut her eyes vehemently. She knew she had promised herself that she would not cry, but a few errant tears threatened to seep past the cordon of her closed lids.

"God, Sasuke," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his torso. "I'm so afraid. Kisho……. I don't know if I can stand losing him."

He drew a ragged breath, bringing his left arm around to pull her closer.

"Neither can I." An image of his son flashed before his eyes; simplistically happy as he tottered around the bedroom, just bubbling. "That's why we're going to fight, with everything we have, and then some. Itachi will not have our son," he pronounced, his right hand slipping under his pillow to grasp a kunai. In the next moment, it was lodged between Naruto's index and middle fingers. The blond grinned widely from his perch on the windowsill. A gust of wind blew, and the white curtains billowed about the Kyuubi vessel.

"Not bad," he remarked of his best friend's perception, reflexes and aim as he threw the trajectory back. Sakura swivelled, perplexed to see the godfather of her child framed in her bedroom window.

"Naruto…..what are you doing here?" Sasuke's tone vacillated between anger and annoyance.

The blond smirked. There was a light in his corn-flower blue eyes, and Sasuke identified it immediately. It was one of anticipation, eagerness, excitement.

"Kiba and they have finished the research." The smiled broadened considerably. "Get your things ready. The mission starts now."

………………

* * *

**_A/N:-_** (1) - In case you didn't know, or couldn't guess, this means uncle.

The plot is thickening…..hmm. Hope you liked that scene with Itachi and Kisho. I just thought, _Itachi + happy-go-lucky one-and-a-half-year-old ………? Hmm…… _I was thinking of injecting some more humour into it, but that would have ruined the mood.

I was reading the summary for this fic, and I realised that it's no longer appropriate. Can anyone come up with anything that lets people get the gist of the story, but doesn't give away too much? Thanks. The title can stay, though. I believe I can make it work.

Next update….. yeah…. well….. we've spoken about this, haven't we?

_(Hint, hint – ) _I write faster (and better) when I get lots of nice reviews. _Nudge, nudge._


	6. Chapter 6

_Sasuke's Cherry Blossom_

_Part 6_

**_A/N:-_** The first order of business. I must say that each and every one of you kick complete and total ass. :-) Seriously. You guys rock. Your reviews made me laugh, blush, ponder, and most importantly, got me fired up to write. I finished this chapter in four days (and let me tell you, that's good time for me). Of course, it then had to go through the long process of betaing and editing………

My profuse and sincere apologies for this being so abysmally late.

Some questions were asked, and some comments were made. The answers are at the bottom, along with my authoress note thingies.

**_Warning:-_** Possible spoilers concerning the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Now, on with the story!

**_Disclaimer:-_** I do not own Naruto, and I am not making any money off of this fic. However, feel free to sue me anyway. Maybe it'll give me a chance to miss some school. (Re-opening in three weeks; sob)

* * *

Leaves rustled and descended in a dance of shadows as the two shinobi ghosted over the branches of the trees, one after the other. Shafts of moonlight illuminated them in patches as they travelled with quick, light steps. She followed him, barely a breath away, and her long braid of azalea hair chased them both.

When they arrived at the gates of Konoha, dropping on practised feet to the paved road, they saw that they were just about the last ones to arrive. Quite a few people were there. Hinata and Kurenai stood, decked out in ANBU garb, waiting to get their masks and have their temporary tattoos painted on. Naruto, who had arrived a few minutes before the Uchihas, was speaking to the indigo-haired girl. Sakura's husband gave her a gentle shove in that direction.

He scanned his surroundings. Neji, Lee, Tenten and Shino were conversing in a group to his left. Shikamaru and Ino were lying on their backs on the grass, looking at the stars. Or rather, Shikamaru was looking at the stars while pretending to listen to Ino, who was raving on at him, obviously quite piqued about something. Sasuke saw him make his escape by saying it was about time he went to collect his ANBU stuff.

The Godaime, her attendant, Asuma, Kiba and Chouji were speaking near the right side of the gates. Sasuke inclined his head respectfully in greeting before ambling over to where Kakashi stood. The silver-haired Jounin was absorbed in Jiraiya's trashy romance novel, the same one from their days as Team Seven, Sasuke believed. It was amazing, really, how Kakashi could make two and a half hours of nouns, verbs, bad grammar and wanton sex last for years.

The dark-haired man stood next to this old sensei and filled the silence with his soft, even breathing. Neither of them spoke for a while.

"They're asking about the Mangekyou Sharingan," Kakashi said eventually, turning a page.

Sasuke's hands sank deep into his pockets and he 'hn'-ed. The Copy Ninja interpreted this tiny sound, ferreted out the question in it and answered accordingly.

"Ino and they came across it in their research, and rightly assumed that Itachi possesses it. They wanted to know more about it, since the book they found it in said nothing really about it. I figured I'd leave that to you, since you undoubtedly know more about it than I do."

"……Aa."

There was a slight shift in the older shinobi's stance.

"Have you acquired it?"

"……Aa."

"Hmm," was all Kakashi offered in response to this new piece of information. His lone brown eye, however, left the pages of his book to trail a path to the self-proclaimed Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. He was obviously enquiring as to the loud shinobi's living, breathing state.

Sasuke made a small sound of derision and turned away, not answering. Unperturbed, Kakashi returned his attention to his novel. The dark-haired man was only mildly surprised that his old teacher hadn't decided to push it; Kakashi knew that he would get his answer soon enough.

Sasuke averted his gaze skyward. The firmament greeted him, absolute black sprinkled with dots of iridescent gold. They flickered, and Sasuke thought of twinkling, merry black eyes. His eyes.

He looked to the trees. A current of air sifted through them, creating a mournful, wistful sound, and bringing to Sasuke's mind a child's cry. Sasuke slammed his eyes shut, feeling his resolve leaving him as he was infused by a most empathic sense of melancholy.

He was seeing Kisho in everything. There wasn't a place he could turn without seeing some facet of his son in it. Worry, anger, panic all pervaded him as he thought of where his little boy was, what was happening to him, what that bastard could possibly want with him. And fear; there was fear too.

Kami-sama, of course there was fear. There weren't many occasions where he would admit that he was even familiar with the emotion, but he couldn't deny it. His obduracy didn't stretch that far. Kisho was his child, his only child, and he cared so much about him.

Sasuke remembered the first time Sakura had placed the baby in his arms. He had been awkward, clumsy, a bit disgruntled, and he hadn't the foggiest idea of what to do. But besides all else, he had been filled with absolute wonderment. The child was so _tiny_; he was practically lost in Sasuke's arms. The new father had stared down at him, at a complete loss, while Kisho cooed and gurgled as if Sasuke was sharing some private joke with him.

Now, the smiles and laughs, constant elation, that ubiquitous 'Tu-sa!'; they were all an intrinsic part of his life. He had to get his son back, no matter what. There was no alternative. To fail in this mission…… it was unthinkable; utterly inconceivable. The phrase 'bundle of joy' was too much of a dictum for Sasuke's liking, but it was entirely appropriate and germane. A bundle of joy in his life……

Emotional was not a word that Sasuke connected to himself, but it would soon become applicable if he didn't stop thinking about his son, _now_.

His eyes travelled over to where his wife was waiting. Kurenai was already done, and had walked over to talk to Tsunade and the others. Hinata was in the process of having her tattoo painted on by an ANBU official. While she waited, Sakura chatted with Naruto, Ino and Shikamaru.

Sasuke watched as Naruto said something funny, or stupid, causing the pink-haired medic to cuff him on the shoulder, giggling. Despite himself, the Uchiha heir's eyes softened by a fraction.

Sasuke didn't know what he would have done without his cherry blossom. Despite the fragility that her name connoted, she was a rock, and provided that essential stability in his life. Countless times, she had brought him back to himself with her kindness, her sweetness, her all-around goodness that allowed her to give of herself so completely, so effortlessly.

Sakura wasn't all petals and sunshine, either. She wasn't afraid to yell him to his senses when it was called for. And that right hook of hers was nearly as legendary as Tsunade's. Sasuke could almost sympathise with Naruto for frequently being on its receiving end. Almost.

In her, he had found someone other than Naruto he could depend on to watch his back, and with Sakura, he never got the urge to beat her into a bloody pulp. She was a confidant, an iron bar of stability, the mother of his child, a lover. And most importantly, she was his friend.

He didn't deserve her, and he knew it. When they were children, he hadn't been able to understand it, how someone could love him so wholly, regardless of his past; without the obligation of family, or the cunning of those who wanted something from him. She'd thrust her heart at him without reservation or fear. And in frustration, annoyance and incomprehension, he'd broken it, pushed her away.

It had only surprised him a little to find himself liking, and appreciating, the wide, bright smile that greeted him at the bridge one day in their seventeenth summer. Life was too ironic for him to _not_ begin to accumulate an affinity for her. Gradually, ever so slowly, he began to warm up to her, treat her with more than the bare minimum of respect, value her both as a team-mate and a friend.

Now, going back to the bleakness that had been his life before Sakura seemed unthinkable. She made him…..happy. She had given him Kisho. It was just everything about her; her warmth, her strength, her kindness; her cooking that really wasn't that bad on a good day, her sense of humour that had a tendency to pop up at strange times, her take-no-shit attitude, her generosity…… Mother would have liked her.

The thought swept in and out of his mind before he could grab it, analyse it, and figure out where the hell it had come from. It had caught him by complete surprise, and left him just a bit flabbergasted in its wake. He seldom thought about his parents these days, except in rare moments of wistful nostalgia, when he lingered too long in the kitchen, or passed by the old lake. Thinking upon the past was not a favourite pastime of his.

Sasuke shifted slightly, so that no one could see the glimmer of emotion that he suspected was in his eyes. The lesion that had been gouged onto the surface of his soul at his parents' death – at _everyone's_ death – was still raw and bloody, and ached every time he deigned to poke or prod at it.

Sasuke supposed that somewhere down the line, he would finally admit it; deep, deep down in the recesses of his heart, no matter how puerile or wimpy it was, he missed his parents, fiercely. His mother, with her simplistic, kind understanding nature, and her warm smile that was medicine enough for any cuts or bruises he would get. Father, gruff and strong, who had finally accepted him as his son, an individual to be proud of, not just someone to be compared with……

Itachi.

Sasuke could not bear to think upon the past for many reasons. For one, it hurt badly, to know that everyone had died, and he had done nothing, _could have_ done nothing, to stop it. To know that he had lived, when he could think of so many others who had deserved to more than him. And for another, whenever he lapsed into a state of remembrance, his mind would inevitably turn to _him_, that man, that bastard…….

His brother.

Sasuke had no desire to prove the Hokage right, to show that he was nothing but a crass, intrepid, loose cannon with no reign on his emotions, but that didn't stop him from wanting to slam his fist into something every time he thought upon _that man_. Every nuance of odium that the Uchiha heir possessed simmered in his coal eyes.

He didn't know what his brother's game was. He honestly didn't care. It didn't interest him, the ways his brother planned on fucking with his mind this time. That was all merely peripheral to Kisho. And once his son was out of danger, he would deal with his aniki. This was going to end.

"Sasuke! Kakashi-sensei!"

The dark-haired man jerked out of his reverie. A white-faced rabbit with a mass of pink hair was running towards them. At the sight of his wife's choice of masks, he allowed a faint smile to flit across his lips.

"We're all set," she said as she reached them, giving a quick nod. Her voice sounded muffled, and slightly alien beneath the mask. "Come on."

Sasuke grunted once, and walked off brusquely, hands taking their place in the valley of his pockets. His wife hurried after him. Kakashi snapped his book shut nothing short of merrily, and tailed them at a leisurely pace, as if the current situation had al the gravity of a game of hide and seek.

Everyone was assembled outside the gates now, slipping on masks, armouring themselves. As the Copy Ninja approached, Tsunade tossed a scroll to him. Kurenai, shrouded in a bear mask, held another.

"The information on Itachi," the Hokage informed them. "You can read it while you move." She shifted a bit, her amber gaze sweeping across the eight masked shinobi. "I don't suppose there are any questions?" She was met with a synchronised shake of heads. "Okay. Now, remember the main thing, Konoha-nin; don't die. Be careful, keep your heads on, and watch each other's backs. Eight of you are leaving, and nine of you are coming back. Got it?"

"Hai!" came the affirmative from the group.

"Good. Now, before you leave….. Shino?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

The strong, solid, taciturn man stepped forward, easing his hands out of his jacket pockets. He walked ahead of them by a few yards, then knelt in the dirt. Pushing his sleeves up to his elbows, the Aburame heir plunged his fingers into the soil.

They waited. A soft scuttling sound preceded the sight of hundreds of miniscule black bugs, pouring out of his sleeves, tearing out of his skin. They scurried down his arms and delved into the earth. The slow, steady breathing of the kneeling ninja was all that could be heard, save the whispers of sounds that his Kikai bugs made.

Fifteen minutes later, Shino stood, and turned to face them. The little insects were now crawling back out of the holes that their container had made in the ground, up his legs and into his pores. Shino adjusted his shades, and spoke.

"There are seven of them."

"Seven?" Shizune repeated, cocking a brow.

"Yes. Four are stationary. Two of them, six miles to the northeast. Another, two miles north of them. Seven miles to the west, the other. Your target is very deep into the forest, about twelve miles, moving rapidly northeast-east. The last two are about nine miles from here, heading northwest."

"Think those last three are planning to meet each other?" This from Sasuke.

Shino shrugged.

"It is possible."

No one else spoke, but everyone was more than just a little surprised. No one had expected there to be this many possible adversaries. And Shino wouldn't aggrandize.

Nonetheless, it was time. Kakashi stepped forward and nodded to Tsunade, then glanced back expectantly at the others. They in turn looked to their friends and family. Goodbyes were said in quick, shared looks.

The Copy Ninja was the first to propel himself into the trees. The seven others followed closely, springing lithely away on practised feet. Their remaining comrades watched them as they were encased in the murky darkness of the forest where the moonlight did not penetrate.

They quickly fell into a formation, making two parallel lines. Neji and Kurenai were at the head, where his Byakugan and her expertise in illusionary tactics would protect them from frontal attacks. Behind them were Sakura and Shikamaru. Third in line were Sasuke and Naruto, while Kakashi and Hinata brought up the rear.

Sasuke waited until the scrolls had passed through everyone before beginning to speak in a level, deadpan tone.

"The Mangekyou Sharingan is a higher form of the Sharingan. It gives the wielder an even more advanced level of insight, and the powers of the normal Sharingan pale in comparison. The greatest asset of the Kaleidoscope Copy Wheel Eye is that it enables one to use the three most powerful jutsu possible: Amaterasu, ninjutsu; Tsukiyomi, genjutsu; and Hiryuu Rendan(1), taijutsu."

There were a few murmurs; some of comprehension, some of awe.

"It was very rare that one would acquire this special eye. For one, it requires great strength, expertise and experience. Also, there exists an obstacle to attaining the Mangekyou. It is said that in order to gain it, one must kill his closest friend."

For a moment, there was only the sound of their feet tapping wood, and the wind in their ears as the trees whizzed by. Then,

"You trying to tell me something, Sasuke-bastard?" The kitsune mask hid the blond's scowl, but it was evident in his voice.

"Shut up, dobe," Sasuke retorted casually. "That is pure fallacy, of course," he continued. "Naruto's presence can attest to that fact."

"So, you have acquired it?" Neji's soft, hollow voice floated back from the front.

"Aa."

"How did you manage that?" Shikamaru enquired.

The man in the tiger mask shrugged.

"I trained. Hard. And concentrated on hating him with every iota of antipathy in me."

Another period of awkward silence passed. Kakashi was the one to break it this time.

"Well then," he drawled. "This should be relatively easy." He sounded nonchalant, but Sasuke could hear the strain in his voice. Kakashi's last battle with Itachi eleven years ago had not been pleasant.

The Uchiha male did not comment on his old teacher's remark, but only went on.

"Kiba and they were, obviously, right in assuming that Itachi possesses the Mangekyou Sharingan. Now, if you come face to face with him, the most important thing to remember is to not make eye contact. Look at his feet, look at his arms, look at his chest, or if you must, don't look at him period, but _do not _let him capture your gaze. If that happens, it's all over for you."

The two platoons nodded their understanding.

Sasuke gave a swift, sharp nod. This seemed to be the signal that he was done. Kakashi noted this, and called out,

"Yosh. Let's pick up the pace a bit guys. We'll travel all through the night and get some rest in the morning. At the six mile mark, Kurenai, your platoon will head east, and check out the guys over on that side. The others and I will go west, to where Shino approximated Itachi was. If you all finish without incident, try and cut across the forest and meet us."

The shinobi digested these instructions as their footsteps lightened and their pace quickened. A still fell upon them, as soft and slow as a feather's descent.

Sasuke escaped into his head, back to his thoughts, behind the veil of silhouetted memories. An all too familiar face materialised in his line of vision; tanned and lined, obsidian blades swirling in the malignant scarlet of his eyes. The navy-haired man's fists tightened, and his face took on the contours of a piece of granite.

_We suffer because of our bonds. _Well, he was going to break all bonds, and ties, with Itachi. His brother was going down.

* * *

**_A/N:-_** Hmm. Not too sure if I like that ending.

(To those who don't normally read the **_A/N_**'s, I suggest you stick around for a while at least.)

(1) – No, this is not the _real_ third all powerful jutsu. I made it up. I have no idea what the real third jutsu is, if it's even been revealed. I just thought that since Amaterasu is ninjutsu and Tsukiyomi is genjutsu, the third one would be taijutsu. The phrase means _Flying Dragon Combo_. More on it later down the line.

I speculated and embellished upon a couple of things, like what Sasuke and Kakashi know/don't know about the Mangekyou, a few details on the Mangekyou, and the size of Konoha Forest.

Feel free to throw tomatoes if all that Sasuke-introspection sucked.

_**Reviews:-**_

**joann:- **Yeah, I know, he was. I just didn't think he'd have his old uniform hanging around the place. Kakashi just doesn't strike me as the type to keep memories in the closet. And notice I said 'fake tattoos where _necessary_'. :-D. Thanks for pointing it out anyway.

**susakuru:- **Ah, yes, the infamous 'Why Itachi Massacred The Entire Clan In One Fell Swoop' question. sweat-drop I suppose I'll have to address it somewhere down the line. Most of it will be supposition; nothing concrete, really. I'm apprehensive about getting too deep into it. But yeah, there'll be some explanation. Thanks for your comments:-)

**Itonami:- **Okay. alternates between blushing and going 'Wow'. Thank you SOOOO much for that awesome review. Gosh, you just about made my month. :-) I'm really glad to know that you liked it. I was a little worried about Tsunade in the meeting; I thought I made her just a little too much of a bee-yatch, so I'm glad it came out okay. Yeah, and I'm a stickler for detail too, so if you ever see me skipping over any part, be sure to tell me.

**the8thsin:- **Heh, heh, my friend. You'll find that I can be VERY evil indeed. cackles appropriately Thanks!

**psychedelic aya:- **Tee hee. Yeah, there'll be a couple more scenes where Uncle Itachi and Kisho 'bond'. Heh, heh. :D. Thanks so much!

**Celira:- **Yeah, I did say that, didn't I? But I also said something else later. (Check the **_A/N_**'s for Chapter Four, honey :-) ) Yeah, the story is mainly SasuSaku, but in later chapters there'll be a bit of ItaSaku. Not much (because every time I think of Itachi having too much feelings beyond indifference and mild annoyance for anyone, my mind screams '**_OOC!_**'), one-sided, just to keep the people who asked for it happy. Though I suppose I could still take it out of the description, since it really isn't _that_ pertinent. Thanks!

**Crystal Renee:- **Ooh, entranced. :D. Glad to hear it. Thanks!

**onlyonenikki:- **Thanks. Yeah, I was worried that Itachi was out of character by a smidgen, so the next time you see him, he'll be a bit more of that big meanie-head that we all know and love. :D Thanks!

**Mistress DragonFlame:-** Thanks! Like I just mentioned, there'll be some more ItaSaku, don't worry. Not sure if it'll be exactly what you're looking for though…. You'll tell me, kay:-)

**Byakugan13:- **Yeah, NejiTen rocks. You won't have many chances to see them together until the end of the fic though. I can promise that they both will have a role to play in the story. Thanks:-)

And to everyone else, all you wonderful people who reviewed and said such nice things, I thank you so much for following this madness, and I'm really glad you all are enjoying it. :-) Y'all are the awesomest people this side of awesome. :D

And to everyone _else_, even if you don't review, and just read, thank you anyway for putting up with me. :D

Okay, I have good news, and I have bad news. The good news is that Chapter Seven is FINISHED, and is being betaed as you read this. It should be posted in a week. The bad news is, knowing myself, it's probably going to be late anyway. Sorry. If a week and a half passes and it still isn't up, feel free to e-mail me and nag and badger me until it gets done.

Bye! Off to work on Chapter Eight


	7. Sasuke's Cherry Blossom 7

_Sasuke's Cherry Blossom_

_Part 7_

**_A/N:-_** Woo hoo! Chapter Seven! Hmm…. I said I'd get it up in a week, and here it is, eleven days later. Not bad. I think this is my fastest update yet, ne? I'll try my best to keep it up.

**Celira:- **Tee hee! Had to giggle at that mental image. Yeah, you were right. :grimaces:

**_Disclaimer:-_** If I owned _Naruto_, Sasuke would have never left, Orochimaru would fall off the face of the earth (maybe taking Baki, Temari and Sasame with him) and Tenten would have a clan name.

* * *

Splashes of golden sunlight cavorted on the verdant green of the forest floor. Birds chirped a canorous, nonsensical tune, only to cut off abruptly and flit away as human presence made itself known.

The dark-haired man that settled himself against a tree clasped a small, unmoving bundle with purple-tipped fingers. Occasionally, he shifted the tiny weight from one shoulder to the next. Itachi looked to the east, studying the rising sun. It was probably a little after eight. He still had some time to wait.

The minutes slid by slowly, like a feather's descent. The man closed his eyes, thinking. Everything was going smoothly so far; the pieces were in place. All he had to do was wait for Sasuke to make his move. And knowing his foolish, impetuous little brother, that would be very soon indeed.

The bundle made a sound, and Itachi's lids slid open to reveal a narrowed, black-eyed gaze. Some time during the evening yesterday, the child had finally realised that the person holding him certainly was _not_ his father. That, coupled with its apparent hunger, had caused it to start crying; a loud, incessant wailing that was more grating on the ears than its lilting laughter. The baby would not be appeased with the berries that he had force-fed it. Eventually, the Uchiha had been forced to cast a sleep jutsu on it. The effects would wear off almost two hours from now. Itachi hoped his companion would arrive by then.

The baby fell silent. Its captor leant back against the tree, closing his eyes once again. Fifteen minutes later, he was slightly alarmed and very annoyed to feel a dampness against his arm. Gritting his teeth, he promptly deposited the child into a brush, glaring at the tiny reposing form.

Cleaning the leakage off his arm with a cloth, he thought of the man who was on his way to meet him. He better get here _soon_.

* * *

"Miss?"

"…"

"Miss?"

"…"

"Miss? Are you ignoring me, girl?"

Tenten squeezed her eyes shut, and fought hard to find that rigid, all-encompassing self-control that all Hyuugas seemed to possess, and turned to face the crotchety old shop-keeper. The woman was staring at her belligerently, fists planted on thick hips.

"Yes ma'am?" the weapons specialist asked pseudo-sweetly.

"What's your name?"

The kunoichi cocked her head in confusion.

"Er….Hyuuga Tenten." She really didn't have time for this. "Look ma'am, I…."

"You're a shinobi, aren't you?" she cut her off.

Tenten looked down at her Jounin-vest, cargo pants, kunai holster and weapons pouch. She flicked her forehead. Yup, her hitai-ate was there, alright.

"Yes?" she tried.

"Good." The solid woman nodded firmly. "Come on, I've got a job for you."

Tenten blinked at the woman's back as she bustled her way through the market crowd. She _couldn't_ be serious.

Apparently, she was, as the kunoichi soon found out. The shop-keeper turned, patent annoyance etched onto her features.

"Come on, don't lag. You've got a lot of work to do."

The recent addition to the Hyuuga clan shook her honey-brown head, and hurried to catch up.

"You don't understand, ma'am. I'm in the middle of a very important investigation here." For the better part of the morning, she had been haunting the market, looking out for anything suspicious, asking questions, making enquiries. She hadn't made much leeway. Asuma and the others were somewhere in the vicinity, and they were all connected by walkie-talkie. She couldn't afford to be distracted now. She tried to communicate that to the store-lady.

"A _very_ important investigation," she reiterated. "I can't…."

"Oh, so you're saying that _this_ isn't important?" the woman flared, fire in her eyes. "You're saying that this doesn't _matter_?" She was getting all riled up, reminding Tenten of her often irate grandmother. She hastened to rectify.

"No, no, no. I…."

"I was robbed, missy. _Robbed_." She nodded her head vehemently and poked the shinobi's chest with a gnarled finger for good measure. "My shop was _robbed_. Rob…."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Tenten interrupted, fighting not to roll her eyes as she held her hands out. "You were robbed. I'm sorry. That's very unfortunate. But don't you think you should take this to the _police_?" There was no lack of sarcasm in her voice.

"You think I haven't called the police?" the woman cried, looking at Tenten as if she were touched in the head. "Of course I've called the police! I was robbed around mid-afternoon _yesterday_. I've made numerous calls since, and nobody's come!" She sniffed, and gave a long-suffering sigh. "This is what our village of Konoha has come to. Plaintive pleas go unheard, no one cares for the old, and justice is doled out selectively. The word shinobi no longer means what it used to. Now, back in the day, when the Yondaime reigned; those were the days. The police force was a fine, upstanding institution; integrity was integral, and the cries of an old woman…."

"Alright, alright, alright!" Tenten said in a near shout before the woman could progress into a lengthy harangue. _The Hyuuga control_, she repeated to herself. _The Hyuuga control_. She rubbed her belly in frustration, a habit she had picked up in her third month. "I will help you."

"Why, thank you, Hyuuga-dono(1)." The woman smiled toothily and bowed. She looked very pleased with herself, almost triumphant.

The kunoichi scowled discreetly and clicked on her walkie-talkie.

"Asuma, I might be a little late in meeting you guys later."

The lady (Tohomiko Nami, she introduced herself as) led her to her store, a block or two away. It was a small, quaint little building, in good condition. It looked like your average convenience store. Once inside, Nami wasted no time in getting Tenten a pad and a pen – which were met with an arched brow and a muffled sigh – and beginning to speak.

"Every afternoon at around two o'clock, I take an hour's break. Yesterday was no different. I locked the place up, and went down the road to have a chat with Suki, and some lunch. When I came back around three, the burglar had come and gone. The funny thing about it is, the store was locked up as tightly as I'd left it."

Tenten 'hmm'-ed. She stepped outside and inspected the locks. They showed no signs of being tampered with. She poked her head back inside.

"Windows? Back door?"

"The windows were sealed shut years ago, and as you can see, none of them have been broken. I don't have a back door."

Tenten re-entered the store, chewing on her lip.

"Okay….er….let's see. What was stolen, Tohomiko-san? Did you make a list?"

"Of course."

Nami delved beneath the counter and came up with a piece of paper.

"Alright. Four packs of diapers, lots of milk – I've still got to check the inventory to find out exactly how much – a baby bottle, two packets of wipes, and a pacifier."

Tenten stared at the old woman in dumbfounded bewilderment for a long minute before choking out,

"What did you just say?"

Nami repeated the list slowly, looking at the Hyuuga strangely.

Tenten wondered if she would seem at all untoward if she were to pick up the old woman, swing her around a few times and plant kisses all over her round, chubby face. She settled for giving her a firm hug, and just one kiss. The store-owner seemed to be warring between surprise, amusement and indignation.

The kunoichi took out the walkie-talkie, all but jumping about in exhilaration.

"I assure you, Tohomiko-san, at this moment, several competent shinobi are working on apprehending your burglar."

Seemingly appeased, Nami nodded, not sure of what to think.

Tenten put the device to her mouth.

"Asuma? Get the others and meet me at #2 Katsu Street, near the market. They were here, all right. I've got a lead."

While they waited, Tenten took a few more notes, to completely satisfy the old woman. The bearded Jounin, along with the Aburame heir were not long in arriving; dropping from the roof onto their feet in front of the store. They headed in, nodding in acknowledgement to Nami. The chestnut-haired kunoichi wasted no time in informing them of what she'd learnt.

"Hmm," Asuma mused after she'd finished, exhaling smoke in a long, thin stream. "A child is kidnapped in the early hours of the morning. Around two o'clock on that same day, baby supplies are stolen. No way that's a coincidence."

"Exactly what I was thinking," the Hyuuga girl agreed. This was all making sense.

"Did you say two o'clock?" In Shino's soft monotone, it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Yeah." A puff of light blue vapour. "Why?"

"I was making enquiries not too far from here. Though I didn't find out anything about our primary suspect, I did learn that around half two yesterday, a woman by the name of Saki Tsunami went missing."

The three shinobi shared a look.

"What are her stats?" Tenten asked.

"Age twenty-two, mother of two children, recently promoted to Chuunin, no special abilities."

"Mother of two," Asuma repeated thoughtfully. He dragged on the cigarette, and its orange tip flared. "Interesting."

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" The pregnant kunoichi grinned, and gave her stomach a triumphant pat. "Okay, first, we need to…."

Tenten cut herself off abruptly, and cocked her head. She looked around, a tad wildly, as if just taking stock of her surroundings.

"Wait a minute…. Where in the hell is Lee!"

Both of her companions shrugged, and Nami, who had long since ceased to pay attention to them, looked up and scowled.

"I'd originally thought he was with you," the smoking Jounin ventured. "When I got here, I was too caught up too notice that he wasn't."

Shino was already on his walkie-talkie.

"He's not responding," he said after a while.

Asuma's shoulders rose and sank.

"Maybe he made one of those bets with himself. 'If I don't gather sufficient information on Kisho's disappearance….', so on and so forth. Check Gai. He's sure to know where he is."

"No." Tenten shook her head. "Gai-sensei is off on a mission." She thought back hard, to twelve years ago, and exhaled noisily. _That idiot_. "Come on, you all. I think I know where he is….or rather, is heading. Come on, we've got to inform Tsunade-sama."

* * *

"Kisame, come out," Itachi deadpanned from his stand at the tree, eyes closed and chest heaving lightly in a parody of sleep. "Stop playing games."

A few moments of silence, a rush of air, and the blue-faced shark materialised in the middle of the clearing. He hefted the Samehada onto his shoulder easily, grinning widely.

"As sharp as ever, Itachi-san."

The ex-Konoha-nin made no move to answer.

Kisame tilted his head, looking up to the trees.

"Come out," he barked harshly.

A slight young woman with short blonde hair jumped down to stand next to him, a sizeable bag on her back and a bovine, uninterested look in her eyes. She clasped her hands in front of her placidly, and proceeded to stare blandly into nothing. Itachi opened his eyes almost lazily to study her.

"The child, Itachi-san?"

The pariah motioned towards the brush, where its briars, brambles and leaves were just barely supporting the resting baby boy. Kisame jerked his head in that direction, and addressed the woman.

"See to the kid." She complied quickly and wordlessly, that dull light glinting in her amethyst eyes. Kisame went to stand next to Itachi, and they watched as she changed and fed the child.

"How strong is the hypnosis technique you cast on her?" the smaller man asked.

"Ah, I suppose it will last for about fifteen hours." The blue-faced man gave his companion a glance. "I suggest that you use your technique before that. It's stronger, and should give us about a day more."

Itachi nodded offhandedly, still observing their two captives.

"She is a shinobi, correct?"

"Hai. A Chuunin. She should be able to keep up with you."

The younger man made a small noise that was up for interpretation and finally turned to face his partner.

"Are the others in place?"

"Hai, Itachi-san."

"Good. My brother will not come alone. His little friends will prove to be a nuisance that I cannot deal with." His tone was flat, cold and void. "And you. You know what you have to do, right?"

"Yes, Itachi-san." The shark grinned, almost cannibalistically. "I am honoured that you would allow me to do this."

The other ninja made a noncommittal sound.

"Not too much blood, though. And don't kill anyone just yet."

Though he looked disappointed, Kisame nodded his acquiescence. He turned to the girl, who was jiggling a sleeping Kisho in her arms, managing to look at the same time very at ease and very stiff.

"Done?" he demanded roughly. He was met with an empty nod.

Itachi pushed himself off of the tree, and they made ready to part ways. They waited for the Chuunin to pack all the supplies away and gather Kisho back into her arms.

"Her name is Tsunami," Kisame added as an afterthought as Itachi and the girl propelled themselves onto the nearest branch. He said it with the air of someone who knew his information was not particularly wanted or needed. She was going to die, anyway.

As expected, Itachi simply shrugged, and he and the girl disappeared into the trees, heading north-west. Kisame watched them go before performing a rapid series of hand seals, and vanishing in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

"Stay sharp, guys," Kakashi called to the three ninja in his platoon. "We're now within a mile of the first guy we're supposed to meet. Neji, can you confirm that for me?"

The bird-masked nin nodded, and the quartet dropped to the forest floor. They had separated from Kurenai's group a little after day-break that morning, had a very short break, and got going once again, keeping the pace that Kakashi had set. They were faintly fatigued, but had no intentions of stopping on account of that.

Pale hands rose, forming the seals as they went. The porcelain mask hid the thick veins that were creeping to the corners of his narrowed eyes.

"Byakugan!" Neji uttered softly.

Shortly, the hands sank.

"A mile and a half," he amended. "A woman, in non-shinobi attire, sitting in a clearing."

"Just sitting?" queried Sakura.

"Yes," affirmed Neji. "Almost as if she were waiting for something."

A look passed between the four of them.

"Hmm," Kakashi said simply. A full minute passed before he spoke again.

"I think it would be best if we were to take a short rest again before continuing. We don't know if this woman poses a threat to us. For the same reason, we should be on the defensive for now, rather than the offensive. It has yet to be revealed what part this woman, or the other miscellaneous persons posted around the forest, has to play in all of this."

They all agreed. They didn't know if a fight awaited them, and it would be best if they were all well-rested and prepared.

Kakashi took to a tree branch, stretched out his legs and whipped out his hentai book. Neji busied himself with tightening the bandages on his arm. Sakura divested herself of her mask briefly to take a drink of water, then walked over to Sasuke and offered him the bottle. He accepted it, and grunted his thanks.

After he finished, and she put the canteen away, Sakura hooked her arm through her husband's and rest her head on his shoulder. She was a bit dismayed to feel how stiff and tense he was. She squeezed the flesh beneath her fingers. No reaction.

Smiling a bit mischievously under the mask, the medic tip-toed closer until the bunny nose touched his ear, and whispered,

"Wanna sneak off into the woods and make out?"

Sakura was suitably gratified to feel his muscles relax, and hear him stifle what she hoped was a laugh. Grinning, she snuggled closer into his side, and closed her eyes.

Less than a half an hour later, they were on the move again, progressing stealthily through the trees.

A mile and a half away, a woman sensed them coming. She licked her lips, and smiled.

* * *

**_A/N:- _**(1) – Honorific term for a samurai; here, it obviously refers to a shinobi.

I gave y'all a sliver a fluff there, since there won't be much of that anymore after this.

I _was_ going to draw a little portrait of all my OC's for ya'll, but that's shot to hell, since Tsunami came out looking like a pissed off Austrian woman, instead of a hypnotised, bovineJapanese girl. I've never been particularly creative, and I've always been exceedingly lazy. :pouts: I shall make another attempt presently though.

At **Mistress DragonFlame's** request, here are the masks that everyone's wearing. It'll probably be mentioned somewhere down the line in conversation or description, but this makes it a whole lot clearer.

Hinata – raccoon

Kakashi – dog

Kurenai – bear

Naruto – fox

Neji – bird

Sakura – rabbit

Sasuke – tiger

Shikamaru – cat

I wrote a humorous little side-fic of sorts, called _**My** Daddy…_, and a Team Seven fic called _Knights in Shining Armour_, if anyone's interested.

I shall now leave you all to ponder what this _job_ of Kisame's is; where in the hell _is_ Lee, and the intentions of that lady sitting in the clearing. Bwaha.

Next update:- Friday 16th September, 2005. I hope. (And so do you, I'm sure.)


	8. Sasuke's Cherry Blossom 8

_Sasuke's Cherry Blossom_

_Part 8_

**_A/N:-_** Um. Let's get on with the story, and leave the explanations for later, I think.

(Taking a quick read through Ch. 7 wouldn't be a bad idea. Also, forgive any typos or grammar errors. I finished this day before yesterday, and did a slapdash job of editing.)

So, without any ado, the long-awaited 8th instalment of _Sasuke's Cherry Blossom_, in which all cliff-hangers are solved, we get into the action part of the story, and Kurenai finally _says_ something, damn it. (Did you notice? She's been mute for the last seven chapters.) Enjoy.

**_Disclaimer:-_** I own _Naruto. _is shot by Kishimoto and Co. I mean, _do **not**_ own it, yeah, yeah, _not_. Of course I don't own it. What did I say?

* * *

One is a squirrel, living a simple, idyllic life; gathering nuts, storing nuts, eating nuts, taking a scamper now and then, and generally staying out of the way of danger. Hence, the first thing one sees when one scurries out of one's hole for a mid-morning romp, should _not _be a great, green limber beast rushing past. Not good for the heart.

Said squirrel ran back to his hole, so he could peer at the green thing from its safe confines. The beast, spotting him, gave him a thumbs-up sign, a blinding grin that made his teeth go _ping! _and a cheery wave. Dubious, the squirrel disappeared into his home, resolving to come back out later when the other forest animals weren't acting so strangely.

The beast continued on his way, keeping up the almost frantic pace.

_I hope I am not late, _he thought.

* * *

"…And then the stupid pervert sennin _stops_. I couldn't believe it! We're being chased by a mob of angry henchmen who're armed to the hilt and he stops to talk to a pretty girl who _conveniently _happens upon his path. That great stupid perv! So I'm there, yelling my head off, trying to make him get his ass in gear. But he's not budging. He's too busy drooling down the girl's chest. And _then, _these three _gorgeous_ women – 'course, none of them were as pretty as you, Hinata-chan – appeared out of nowhere, and started putting on all the sleazy charm on me, real thick, as thick as… as thick as…"

Naruto trailed off, looking for the most befitting simile.

"Your skull?" Shikamaru suggested from where he lay prone on the grass, peering up at the sky through the thick foliage of the forest trees' leaves.

"Yeah, thanks," the kitsune replied distractedly. "As thick as my skull. But of course, I, Uzumaki Naruto-sama, genius ninja of Konohagakure was far too smart for… Hey!"

Hinata giggled. It was like the soft trickling of a quiet brook. Naruto took a little while to appreciate the sound, and to be amused by the fact that she brought her fingers to her lips even though that dainty orifice was concealed by the mask, before turning to glare at Shikamaru. The spiky-haired man probably couldn't see the glower – the eyeholes of the masks reduced the eyes to slits, and pretty much nullified peripheral vision – but there was no mistaking the surliness in his posture. Shikamaru merely shrugged, gave a short laugh and turned his gaze back to the sky.

Kurenai, who had been listening to Naruto's tale of a mishap he and Jiraiya had had on one of their travels, chuckled softly at the two shinobi's exchange. She unfolded her arms languidly, and vaulted to a tree branch not too far away, about ten feet off the ground. The gruff, scowling face of the mask she wore contrasted with the smooth, soft timbre of her voice when she said,

"Come on, that's enough. Let's get going."

Naruto was the first to rise, adjusting the stylised fox-mask over his face.

"This is weird," he commented. "Weren't we supposed to come across someone at the six-mile mark? We've got to have travelled at least eight miles by now."

"Yes, it _is_ weird," Hinata agreed, standing up also.

"Think they're running away from us?" her fiancé asked.

"Not necessarily," their platoon leader objected. "It could be that we are now the ones being pursued," she suggested forebodingly. The air in the small clearing became a tad thicker with the weight of that statement.

"But, we still do not know for sure if they are our enemies," Hinata reminded them quietly.

Naruto scoffed, not impolitely.

"What're the chances of these people _not _being Itachi-hired shinobi? The Forest is supposed to be empty right now; there are no records of any missions taking place here right now. And…"

"In any case," Kurenai interrupted smoothly, "we should go." She turned, giving them her back, signalling that conversation was over.

Naruto grunted, and turned to his cell member on the grass.

"C'mon, Shikamaru, we're reforming the line," he said, flipping his hood over his head.

The brunet made no move, only a small irked sound. Naruto scowled.

"Get your lazy ass up, man. We gotta move."

The shadow manipulator, after an interim of about ten seconds, sat up, very slowly. His eyes trailed all over the small copse indolently, as if searching for something that only he knew was there. His team-mates surveyed him in a mixture of curiosity and impatience.

Shikamaru's eyes finally stopped flitting, and trained themselves seemingly on Naruto. The blond glared back at him, wondering what the hell was going on. However, the kitsune did not concern Shikamaru. Rather, it was the shadow that travelled along the branch above the blond's head that interested him quite a lot.

Within a nanosecond, he was moving, rolling into a kneeling position while his hands blurred through the seals. A thin black shape, like a daylight phantom, shot out from his feet and raced along the forest floor. Naruto and Hinata, clueing in quickly, leapt out of the way to land in battle stances a few feet away.

Kurenai swivelled, whipping a kunai out of her holster. As Shikamaru's shadow shot up the tree and fused with the shadow there, she jumped off of the branch to stand behind her subordinate's crouched form, battle-ready. Behind the mask, her mouth thinned into a line. She'd been right. They were being watched. And she doubted that it was just for reconnaissance purposes.

She also doubted that the person that Shikamaru had ensnared was the only one in the vicinity. Kurenai made a discreet hand signal in Naruto's general direction. Without any ado, the Kyuubi vessel leapt up into the trees and sprang away into the surrounding forest. Hinata did not look after him, but ground her feet into the dirt, as if rooting herself there, hands frozen in the Jyuuken.

Shikamaru gave a short, barking laugh, seemingly for no reason in particular, and took a few unhurried, yet purposeful strides backwards, hands still locked in the Kage Mane. The crackling snaps of twigs heralded the sight of the body that came crashing down through the trees.

Unwittingly, the person landed on their feet, only wavering slightly. A shock of bushy brown hair fell into glinting black eyes that were screened by round, thinly-framed glasses. The person was dressed in a standard shinobi suit, hued a blend of tan and green that had undoubtedly afforded him the advantage of camouflage. He had probably also used some sort of technique to further mask his presence, Kurenai surmised shrewdly, or else they'd have surely sensed him before this.

Hinata's eyes followed her platoon leader as the bear-masked woman walked with slow, even steps to stand between the unknown ninja and Shikamaru. Dry brown leaves snapped beneath her feet; her layers of onyx hair shifted and swayed. The Byakugan user swallowed, and did not move. Shikamaru made a sound that suggested that he was thinking, but made no move to speak.

Kurenai narrowed her eyes. The shinobi was staring at her, with a facial expression that lay somewhere in the vicinity of bored, and fell just short of amused. She stared right back, unwaveringly.

A few seconds of contemplation later, she decided to go about this as practically as possible.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Her voice was flat and tempered against the oddly soundless backdrop of the forest.

Even so, the man appeared not to hear her. In lieu of answering, he forced his pupils southwards, allowing himself to take in his hands that were positioned in an unfamiliar seal. They flitted back upwards to glance at the cat-masked nin with the ponytail. Sable eyes squared, and a slight frown marred the nin's lips.

"Well. This is unfortunate."

* * *

Neji was the first to notice the genjutsu. On his heels was Sasuke, eyes narrowing with his realisation. It didn't take Kakashi too long either. Sakura clued in when her team leader made a sharp movement with his hand, signalling for them to stop.

The four shinobi took in their surroundings with calculating slowness. Less than a minute ago, they had bypassed this same copse. Every detail was mirrored to perfection; to the sturdy oak to the left that rained tears of autumn red when it sighed, the patch of pretty lavender flowers near its base, the thrush that thrilled happily, the pastel-coloured butterflies that flitted to and fro.

The Copy Ninja quickly made the observation that though he could sense the illusionary technique for what it was, he could not see through it.

"Can either of you see through it?" he asked steadily, slipping his hands into his pockets. Both Neji and Sasuke vetoed that solemnly. All three men took a short, vague moment in which to be slightly alarmed.

Sasuke's tiger-masked face made a slow arc from left to right.

"I don't sense anyone," he said levelly.

Neji was already undoing the Byakugan.

"I don't see anyone," he reported quietly.

The brow that Sakura had probably arched could be heard in her voice when she said,

"They mean to hinder us with this?"

Kakashi folded arms over an armoured chest.

"That doesn't quite seem very probable to me. This genjutsu is much too simple for that."

The medic-nin considered that. It was true. Over the years, she had studied a bit of genjutsu on and off, and this one seemed to be as simple as they came; confusing their senses so that they travelled in circles, or presenting a reoccurring image of the like. Kakashi was right. This sort of genjutsu was taught at Genin level. Whoever had cast it couldn't be serious about apprehending them.

Neji set out to test Kakashi's hypothesis. His hands fell into the single, simplest seal for the dispelling of genjutsu, and he uttered,

"Kai."

…Nothing happened.

Sakura's shock was manifested in the hand that rose briefly to the mouth of the sturdy white rabbit mask. It soon moved to pass repeatedly over the top of her hood in a thoughtful manner. Why hadn't it worked? Why would it _not _work?

Before she could comment, however, her husband was already trying a new method. His hands blurred through a more complicated series of hand seals. Sakura eyed him closely, pensively, and tensed visibly when the genjutsu still did not release after his attempt.

"This is not good," Kakashi remarked as he began trying a jutsu of his own. "A genjutsu that seems simple in its effects, but yet while defeating the Sharingan and the Byakugan, and cannot be dispelled by any of the canon, or even more complex cancellation techniques. Hn."

Unease washed over Sakura in a quiet, sudden torrent. Something told her that this should sound familiar to her. She scraped her memory database, and tried to remember what she had learnt about genjutsu.

"Maybe we should just press forward; see if this isn't just a fluke, a joke," Sasuke suggested momentarily. One could see that he was already strung out and keyed up; tired of the inaction. He wanted to move, be on his way; Sakura could see it in the way he shifted on the balls of his feet ever so often, curled his fingers with an almost controlled power around the hilt of a kunai. Sakura could not blame him however. Considering what was at stake…

…Sakura swallowed, and forced herself not to think about Kisho, as she gently shot down her husband's proposal.

"No. Even if that worked, sometimes, genjutsu can confuse the sense of direction. We could be going in a completely different direction, and be none the wiser."

"She's right," Kakashi said, slamming a palm down into the grassy earth. Tiny, inky black kanji flew out from beneath his hand and sped off into the forest in all directions, grazing trees, and leaves and brushes. Chakra sizzled, sloughing off the silver-haired man's arm as he performed yet another technique in hopes of breaking the genjutsu.

The landscape flickered, hazily, and nothing more.

Not a word was said for a few moments. Then, the medic spoke up, hesitantly.

"I… I think I know what this is." She cracked her knuckles uncertainly as her team-mates turned their attention towards her.

"Hmm?" Kakashi said.

"I can't be sure about this… but I think this may be a Pole Genjutsu." She did not wait to be asked to explain. "This type of genjutsu covers a certain range, conventionally taking on a quadrilateral shape. All four points are tied to an object by chakra; a tree, a rock, an incline, a house, or even a person; in other words, the pole. Undoing the jutsu is simple when one is the caster; it only takes the basic 'kai', and one can do it from anywhere. Other than that, you would have to locate each of the poles and perform a dispelling technique at each of them before the jutsu can be released."

Neji cut in smoothly.

"None of this explains why neither Kakashi, nor Sasuke, nor I were able to see through the illusion, even with our Kekkei Genkai."

Sakura mulled briefly over his observation, then shrugged.

"I don't quite understand that either. This must be a very advanced form of the jutsu. Either that, or it has been modified to suit the caster's needs. Anyway, I think that…" The pink-haired ninja pressed a gloved finger to porcelain lips. She seemed to be studying the area. "I think… maybe if I could somehow follow the subtle chakra patterns… I could find the poles, and release the genjutsu."

Sasuke gave his wife a speculative look, tilting his head. Kakashi ran his fingers through his hoary hair, and sighed.

"Well, I can't say I very much like the idea of us splitting up, but we don't have a choice, do we?" Another sigh. "How sure are you that you can pull this off?"

"Ninety-nine percent sure, sir." Only Sasuke was able to detect the smidgen of hesitancy in her inflection. He said nothing.

"Yosh," their platoon leader conceded. "It is the only way, I suppose."

Sakura straightened slightly, and nodded.

"I'm not sure how long this is going to take, since the genjutsu can cover quite a large area, and I'm not sure how many poles there are. So, when and if the illusion is dispelled, don't bother to wait up; just go on. I can find my way okay."

The three men gave grunts of affirmation. Sakura was glad that Sasuke had put up no protest; it made this easier, and showed that he trusted her to get this done with no incident.

The kunoichi cleared her throat, and forced cheerfulness into her register when she said,

"Okay, then. See y'all later."

Falling into a crouch, Sakura gave herself momentum to shoot up into the leaves and off westward, following the faint band of crackling energy that her senses picked up on. The three men in the clearing watched until they could no longer see the forest brown of her cloak through the patchwork of the leaves.

* * *

Shrouded in the caliginous cover of an oak, the shark-man watched as one of the four shinobi separated from the group, and started moving west through the forest. He was just barely able to catch sight of a lock of rose petal hair that slipped out of the hood.

The shark grinned. They were making this far too easy for him.

After an appropriately lengthened interim of about fifteen minutes, Hoshigaki Kisame undid the genjutsu, and gave chase.

* * *

Yuuhi Kurenai gritted her teeth, and repeated the question, her pillar of patience ever crumbling. To the west, she felt Naruto's chakra flare hotly, and surmised that he had found some other guests to join this party.

Glasses still had not answered, nor had he moved his eyes from Kurenai's midriff, where he had trained them a few minutes hence. The air in the clearing was charged, pulled taut with tension like the wires of a trap waiting for some quarry. Silver eyes flicked from the Konoha-nin to the bushy-haired man. Hinata wondered what her cell-leader planned on doing. She stood her ground, and waited.

Naruto's energy flickered again, alongside an unfamiliar one that burned brightly and savagely. It seemed to be getting closer.

Abruptly, Shikamaru jerked his head up sharply, so that Glasses would be forced to face Kurenai directly. The gesture screamed of mutual impatience and boredom. The unknown nin took the sudden movement all in stride. The glinting black eyes behind the spectacles looked haughty and composed; amused, even.

When Glasses finally spoke, it was not to answer the question.

"Kisame-san was right," he said sardonically in a scratchy, unpleasant voice, eyes level with the genjutsu master's red-eyed gaze. "This _is_ going to be fun." He smirked. "You can come out now, Hiroshi."

"Shikamaru, kill him," Kurenai ordered, even as she drew out a dagger to deflect the volley of shuriken that blurred into being on a path straight towards her. Even as the shadow manipulator murmured the Kage Kubi Shibari beneath his breath, she was jouncing off a tree trunk to confront her attacker head on, arms tucked into her sides, body whipcord straight, giving her the semblance of a living arrow.

Shikamaru was not very surprised when the neck that the nebulous fingers of his jutsu fastened onto turned out to be made of a sticky, stretchy black substance. In no time at all, the rest of the body was oozing to the floor, dissolving around the shinobi's mocking smile. The genius wheeled, and nodded to the Hyuuga heir, who at once flicked on the Byakugan with the ease of a blade slicing through water. Seconds later, she was jumping into a nearby tree to tackle whoever she had seen there.

Almost simultaneously, Naruto crashed into the copse, a wild, thrashing, redheaded thing bearing down on him. The Kyuubi vessel sported several vicious scrapes along the bridge of the fox's hard metal nose, and his hood had given way to reveal his mop of unruly golden locks. The wild thing came at him hard and fast, lunging and pistoning and snarling. It twisted sharply, trying to find a weak spot in Naruto's armour, and in doing so revealed hidden curves that showed it to be female. That was probably the reason, the Nara man speculated, rising to his feet, why Naruto only blocked the assaults, and barely ever attacked himself.

…Or maybe not, Shikamaru reconsidered wryly as Naruto feinted left and spun, delivering a crushing blow to the back of the cat-like woman's head that sent her reeling. He had been merely waiting for an appropriate opening. The woman hissed savagely, and bent brusquely at an unnatural angle to avoid the slew of senbon that Shikamaru barraged her with. As Naruto retreated a few yards to stand level with his team-mate, she herself put some more space between her and her enemies, snarling viciously as she put a birch to her back.

"The Nekowari clan, I believe," Shikamaru murmured lazily to the blond at his side. "From the Hidden Mist. Like a feline counterpart to the Inuzuka clan."

Naruto grunted, and nothing more.

The clanking and clashing of metal in the clearing culminated abruptly with two dull thuds; Hinata falling to the forest floor with a small 'oomph', and an unknown ninja, presumably the Hiroshi that Glasses had mentioned, barrelling into a tree trunk with the force with which Kurenai had flung him. The Hyuuga heir was on her feet in no time, panting slightly. The raven-haired woman descended from the trees to stand flush with her team.

Glasses materialised next to the heaving feline, smirking victoriously.

"Get up, Hiroshi," he said shortly, not even looking in the man's direction.

"Hai, Mibu-san." The tall, stocky man surged to his feet as if he hadn't just been thrown a clear thirty feet into a sturdy tree trunk. Soon, he was flanking Glasses, arms folded across a bulky chest.

The four faced the three, each side silently assessing the other. The ponytail-wearing man caught sight of a hitai-ate on Hiroshi's forearm, and saw that he had been correct; they were from the Hidden Mist, alright. They weren't just any chumps, either. They all looked formidable and crafty. He put them all at Jounin level for the very least; maybe even ANBU or Hunter class. The Konoha ninjas' advantage of numbers might not necessarily be of help to them.

The red-head stretched, and cracked her knuckles.

"Four Konoha ANBU class?" Her voice was slight, and almost childish; in harsh contrast with her wild, brawling fighting style. A small, pink slip of a tongue darted out to moisten cracked lips; wicked incisors flashed. "I may actually have to rub the sleep out of my eyes for this one."

Glasses scoffed.

"Somehow, I doubt it. I feel… lucky."

Shikamaru felt Naruto stiffen and tense beside him; a small growl escaped the mask. His fellow Leaf nin were able to recognise the sound for what it was; a growl of excitement, rather than anger.

"Hey, Four-eyes," the kitsune called out casually. "I feel like I know you. Did I kick your ass sometime in the past?"

"Humph." Insolence seemed to roll off the man in waves. "I very much doubt that. Few have been granted that pleasure."

The Nekowari woman cut off Naruto's answering remark, hissing in impatience.

"Enough talking." She drew out a katana from the sheath strapped to her back. Its brilliant silver surface toyed with the light, dissecting and reflecting it haphazardly. She licked her lips in tandem with the swipe she made along the forest floor. "Let's kill the raccoon first." Oval yellow pupils studied Hinata slyly. "She and the blond one reek of each other."

Glasses laughed; a fairly unpleasant sound.

"Good idea."

They were trying to raise Naruto's hackles. It worked.

When they attacked, moves melding together in their synchrony, he was ready.

* * *

Sakura felt, rather than saw, the genjutsu crumble around her. She descended from the boughs of a thick mahogany to the forest floor, and surveyed her surroundings with narrowed green eyes. That was strange… She'd only managed to find one pole so far. This had to mean that the caster of the jutsu had released it. But why?

Well, in any case, she should try to find the guys now, before whoever had executed the genjutsu found her. By herself, she was pretty damn formidable, but she had no idea of this person's power or skill, and couldn't be sure of whether she'd be able to handle him or not. She scrutinised the place again. She recognised the area faintly, and was sure she would find herself back on track if she took on a north-easterly path.

She was about to propel herself into the trees when cold metal against her back stopped her. Willow eyes widened, and her pulse picked up like a revving engine. There was no way, just _no way_, that someone could have snuck up on her like that without her sensing them. Impossible…

On a burst of adrenaline, her arm shot back to catch her assailant in the jaw, but the person caught her wrist easily, and twisted it in warning. Sakura swallowed a gasp.

"Hello," a sinister voice grated in her ear.

* * *

The three men, as silent as death, eased into the glade, each from different points. The woman who sat in the centre seemed to pay them no mind, and remained sitting in a meditation pose, eyes closed, hands poised in her lap. Her impossibly long, violet tresses pooled in heavy heaps on the ground, their thickness not even disturbed by the antics of the wind. Her face was pointed and delicate; achingly beautiful in an almost picturesque way. The elaborate, pastel-coloured kimono she wore only served to enhance her loveliness.

Beside her, on an ornate sterling silver tray, was a dainty china set, complete with a delicate little pot, and four pairs of cups and saucers. Steam rose from them in curling wisps, emanating the faint scent of bay leaves. Kakashi motioned to Sasuke and Neji to hold their ground, and he himself took a few steps forward.

"Good day." It was said suddenly and solemnly, in a soft, musical voice, and echoed within the clearing. Dark, verdant green eyes flickered open, and fell upon the Copy Nin. The woman tilted her head. "Would you like some tea?" She made the suggestion as if it were the most brilliant idea to ever come to mind.

"No, thanks," Kakashi said pleasantly, easing his hands into his pockets.

"Hmm. Are you sure?" Long fingers rose and gestured to the tray; every movement spoke of grace. "I can tell you your future, if you'd like."

"I'm fine, really," Kakashi assured her.

Sasuke, positioned behind the woman, began to edge forward silently. Kakashi sighed softly, and rolled his eyes shortly, but made no objection.

The woman lifted her shoulders briefly.

"Ah, no worries, dear." She wrapped the endearment around her tongue, caressed it, like a lover. "I already know what will come to pass in your future; you, and the two handsome young men behind me."

Sasuke stopped moving.

"Oh?" Kakashi said, tensing by a fraction.

She nodded, and smiled. If the Copy Nin was capable of manifesting shock, he would have done so then. It was by far the most sinister thing that Kakashi had ever witnessed, to see her bowed lips draw back against her serrated teeth, and stretch far beyond the limits of the normal smile. In a breath, just with the movement of those facial muscles, the alluring creature became primal, and ugly. Her forest green eyes cut into slits.

"I am Mulan, and you are all going to die."

* * *

From the vantage point of a lofty branch, Sakura watched her clone struggle with the shark-like man, and thanked the gods that she'd had the sense to have a bunshin following her. So far it looked like her enemy hadn't yet realised that what he was grasping was a mould of mud and earth, rather than a living breathing kunoichi.

Sakura tried to discern the features that were half-hidden by the high collar of the cloak. In the information scroll that Ino, Kiba and Chouji had prepared, there hadn't been a picture, but by his stature, dress, and gruffness, she could only guess that this was…

"Hoshigaki Kisame." The same gruff voice was at her ear, a blue hand had pulled back her hood to clasp her throat. "Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Uchiha-san."

Curses flew in Sakura's mind. Looking down into the clearing, she saw that where her Tsuchi Bunshin was oozing to the ground in sloughs of mud-brown, the man behind it had already dissolved into a puddle of water. Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu…? Widened eyes told her shock. To her recollection, the nearest stream was at least two miles away. And yet still he was able to use Suiton no Jutsu…?

The hand around her neck tightened. At that moment, the kunoichi, quite incongruously, recalled that she had not kissed her husband goodbye.

* * *

**_A/N:-_** Whoa. That's got to be one of the biggest cliff-hangers I've ever done. Wow. I know, I'm horrible.

Just in case anyone doesn't know: _Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu _Shadow Strangulation technique; _Tsuchi Bunshin _Earth Clone; _Suiton no Jutsu _Water Techniques.

Right. So, um…. Sorry? It's been three months to the day since I said I was going to update. I'm really sorry that it took me so long to get this done; truly I am. But around that time, Life took the opportunity to jump up and smack me square in the face. There was school, and tests, and studying, and projects, and RL friends that I'd been neglecting, family… I really didn't have time to write. And not to mention the dastardly bout of writer's block that assaulted me. I honestly had no idea of what to write; where to take this damn thing. I'd get myself stuck in the queerest of places; for instance, for two months, I was stuck on the line: _A shock of bushy brown hair fell into glinting black eyes that were screened by round, thinly-framed glasses_. Didn't know what in the hell to write after that.

Chapter Nine has been mapped out in my head, and I basically know what I want to happen. I'll try not to give any cliff-hangers at the end of that one. However, before I begin to write it, I know that I'll have to see Episodes 21 and 81, which I missed out on, because I believe that they contain crucial info that I'll need (Sakura's knowledge of genjutsu, and Kisame's fighting style). My sister should bring 'em both home by the end of the year. I'm hoping to get Ch. 9 to y'all by no later than the start of February. No guarantees though. What I can tell you all for sure is that I'm not going to drop this story. I _will_ finish it, and that's a promise.

We're into the action part of the story now. There's a high probability of blood and gore. Just mentioning that on the off-chance that any of you are iffy about that stuff.

Cookies for anyone who can recognise my OCs. I gacked a few of their personality traits, skills and appearances from various characters who've appeared in filler episodes of the anime.

Interesting, Ironical Fact:- Do you know, that during that whole three months, I had Internet at home? And like, two weeks ago, something went wrong with it _again? _bangs head against wall I'm cursed.

Random, Pointless Fact:- Do you know that Itachi's name can be translated as _weasel_? snickers

You all can check me out on my spiffy new LJ (link in my profile). There, I sometimes whine quite pitifully about my progress (or rather, my pathetic lack thereof), so you can see how the chapter's coming along.

So! Please tell me what you think. I need to know how much my fight scenes suck/don't suck, what makes sense, and what doesn't, anything you're confused about. All comments, criticism and encouragement welcomed, needed and loved. And now that has this lovely new reply system, I can get back to you all on your comments instantly (more or less).

(Please, though, try to avoid spoilers in the reviews. I'm up to Episode 153 of the anime. I know that this story has become way AU, what with all the stuff that's going on in the manga, but I don't want to know. Not even a little. Thanks.)

In a few weeks, I'll be doing a major fic dump, (during those three months, SCB8 was just about the only thing I _wasn't_ writing) so see y'all then.

Bye!


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